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THE  ^%SS 


HISTOEY  OF  THE  PASSION 


OF 


OUR  LOED  JESUS  CHEIST 


EXPLAINED   AND  APPLIED    TO    THE   CHRISTIAN  LIFE 


BY 

JAMES  GROENINGS 

PRIEST  OF  THE  SOCIETY  OF  JESUS 


SECOND  REVISED  EDITION 


ST.  LOUIS,  MO.,  AND  FREIBURG    (BADEN 

Published  by  B.  Herder 

1908 


St.  Louis,  Jan.  17,  1908. 


NIHIL   OBSTAT. 

F.    G.'HOLWECK, 

Censor  Tlieologicus. 


St.  Louis.  Jan.  22.  1908. 


IMPRIMATUR. 

*^  Joannes  J.  Glennon, 

Archiepiscopus  Sti.  Ludovici. 


Copyright,  1900,  by  Joseph  Gummersbach. 


PREFACE. 

(From  the  foreword  of  the  first  German  edition.) 

"This  book  is  not,  strictly  speaking,  a  series  of 
sermons  or  meditations  on  the  sufferings  of  our 
Redeemer,  but  it  is  rather  an  explanation  of  the 
history  of  the  Passion.  It  consists  of  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  most  important  and  most  interesting 
trial  which  has  ever  come  before  a  court  of  justice, 
on  whose  final  decision  depends  the  weal  or  woe 
of  the  whole  human  race.  The  book  is  also  a 
commentary  on  the  greatest  drama  which  has  ever 
been  enacted.  Even  considered  from  a  purely 
natural  point  of  view,  the  Passion  of  our  Lord  is 
a  drama  with  which  none  other  can  be  compared 
as  regards  the  character  of  the  actors,  the  magni- 
tude of  the  action,  the  importance  of  the  intrigue 
and  the  complexity  of  the  plot.  The  unities  of 
time  and  place  have  even  been  preserved. 

In  preparing  this  explanation  and  practical  ap- 
plication of  the  history  of  the  Passion,  the  author 
has  spared  no  pains  in  gathering  and  using  with 
discretion  the  best  which  Catholic  learning  and  re- 
search has  to  offer  on  the  subject.  In  pursuance 
of  his  object  he  has  consulted  by  preference  the 
great  Catholic  theologians  of  the  past  and  from 
these  treasure-houses  of  sacred  knowledge  has 
chosen  the  granite  blocks  from  which  to  rear  his 

iii 


iv  PREFACE 

edifice.  The  author  has  thought  it  wise  not  to 
draw  from  private  revelations,  no  matter  how  ven- 
erable the  names  connected  with  them  may  be. 
Since  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  between  what  is 
in  reality  revealed  in  these  revelations  and  what 
is  merely  the  result  of  pious  meditation,  the  au- 
thor judged  it  more  in  accordance  with  his  very 
calling  as  teacher  and  interpreter  of  the  Gospel 
to  rely  solely  on  the  Gospel  narratives  and  the  in- 
terpretation put  upon  them  by  the  Fathers  and  by 
men  scientifically  trained  for  that  purpose.  The 
various  personal  revelations  may,  with  due  re- 
spect, be  left  to  private  devotion,  pious  reading  and 
meditation. 

How  and  to  what  extent  exegetical  matter  should 
be  incorporated  in  the  work  was  determined  by  the 
double  purpose  in  view,  namely,  to  impart  useful 
and  interesting  knowledge  and  to  offer  religious 
edification.  The  author  does  not  pretend  that  he 
has  always  taken  the  correct  stand  on  disputed 
points,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  he  does  not  be- 
lieve that  he  has  made  any  assertion  without  good 
reason  and  without  being  able  to  quote,  in  sup- 
port, authorities  who  command  respect. 

For  the  guidance  of  the  reader,  the  passages 
from  the  four  Gospels  which  provide  the  subject- 
matter  for  each  chapter  have  been  indicated.  The 
historical  sequence  of  the  different  events,  as  far 
as  it  was  possible  to  determine  it,  has  been  strictly 
observed,  except  that  the  mysteries  of  Mount  Oli- 
vet have  been  arranged  from  an  objective  view- 
point and  that  the  wonderful  phenomena  observed 


PREFACE  V 

before  and  at  the  time  of  the  death  of  our  Lord 
have  been  condensed  in  one  chapter.  However, 
care  has  been  taken  to  avoid  confusing  the  order 
of  events.  Partly  with  a  view  to  furnishing  an 
authoritative  foundation  for  interpretations  and 
partly  for  the  instruction  and  encouragement  of 
those  who  have  not  access  to  a  large  number  of 
scientific  works,  notes  on  various  difficult  points 
have  been  added  at  the  end  of  the  book.  They 
were  placed  there  in  order  to  avoid  interrupting 
the  text  in  a  disagreeable  manner  by  lengthy  re- 
marks which  do  not  have  the  same  interest  for 
every  one.  As  far  as  circumstances  permitted, 
the  passages  quoted  from  the  Fathers,  taken  over, 
with  few  exceptions,  from  Cornelius  a  Lapide  and 
Salmeron,  have  been  covered  with  exact  refer- 
ences aud  have  been  compared  with  the  original 
texts.  Unfortunately  it  was  not  possible  to  verify 
all  the  references  to  the  Fathers. 

Although,  as  has  been  stated,  the  work  is  not  a 
book  of  meditations,  in  the  strict  sense  of  the 
term,  it,  nevertheless,  affords  abundant  material 
for  meditation  and  may  even  be  considered  as  a 
preparatory  school  for  meditation,  because  its  pur- 
pose is  to  introduce  us  to  a  thorough  knowledge  of 
the  history  of  the  Passion  of  our  Lord,  to  reveal  to 
us  His  inner  life  and  to  inspire  us  to  apply  the 
truths  here  taught  to  our  lives.  But  those  who  pro- 
pose using  the  book  for  meditation  will  do  well 
to  remember  the  advice  given  by  St.  Ignatius  in 
his  Spiritual  Exercises,  viz.,  to  take  thoroughly  to 
heart,  in  considering  the  persons,  the  words  and 


Vi  PREFACE 

the  actions  in  the  history  of  the  Passion,  what  our 
Lord  suffered  in  His  sacred  humanity,  especially 
in  His  Divine  Heart;  how  His  divinity  withdraws 
into  the  background,  as  it  were,  in  order  to 
abandon  His  sacred  humanity  to  suffering,  and 
how,  finally,  Christ  suffers  all  these  thing's  for 
each  one  of  us  individually  in  accordance  with  the 
words  of  St.  Paul.  (Gal.  ii.,  20.)  It  was  not 
feasible  to  repeat  these  important  and  wholesome 
thoughts  in  every  chapter,  nor  is  it  the  intention 
of  St.  Ignatius  that  they  themselves  form  the  ob- 
ject of  our  meditations;  they  are  rather  to  be  con- 
sidered, to  use  a  comparison,  as  the  glasses  through 
which  we  are  to  behold  the  objects  of  our  atten- 
tion, i.  e.,  the  various  events  in  the  history  of  the 
Passion.  It  is  sufficient  to  here  remind  the  reader 
to  keep  these  three  points  constantly  before  his 
mind. 

As  it  was  not  practicable  to  indicate  on  every 
page  the  sources  from  which  the  various  explana- 
tions were  taken,  we  name  here  the  chief  works 
consulted  in  writing  this  book. 

A.  Salmeron,  S.  J.,  Comment,  in  Evangel.  His- 
toriam;  Fr.  Toletus,  S.  J.,  Comment,  in  Joannis 
Evangelium;  Joh.  Maldonat,  S.  J.,  Comment,  in 
quatuor  Evangelistas ;  Seb.  Barradas,  S.  J.,  Com- 
ment, in  Concordiam  et  Historiam  quatuor  Evan- 
gelist.;  Cornelius  a  Lapide,  S.  3".,  Comment,  in 
quatuor  Evangelia;  P.  A.  Scherer,  Bibliothek  fiir 
Prediger;  Fr.  Xav.  Massl,  Erklarung  der  heiligen 
Schriften  des  Neuen  Testamentes;  Dr.  P.  Schegg, 
Kommentare  zu  Matthaus  und  Johannes;  Dr.  P. 


PREFACE  Vll 

Schanz,  Kommentare  zu  den  vier  Evangelisten ; 
Dr.  Joh.  Nep.  Sepp,  Das  Leben  Jesu  Christi 
(second  edition)  ;  Dr.  P.  Schegg,  Das  Leben  Jesu; 
L.  de  Ponte,  S.  J.,  Meditationes ;  L.  de  la  Palma, 
S.  J.,  Geschichte  der  heiligen  Passion;  W.  Stani- 
hurstus,  S.  J.;  Dei  immortalis  in  corpore  mortali 
patientis  historia;  R.  Bellarmin,  S.  J.,  Die  sieben 
Worte  Christi  am  Kreuze;  Ad.  Fr.  Lennig,  Be- 
trachtungen  iiber  das  bittere  Leiden  Jesu  Christi; 
Ant.  Etzinger,  Betrachtungen  iiber  das  Leiden 
und  Sterben  Jesu  Christi;  Dr.  M.  Breiteneicher, 
Die  Passion  des  Gottmenschen ;  Dr.  N.  Gihr,  Das 
heilige  Messopfer. 

May  by  God's  grace,  the  reading  of  this  book 
help  to  inflame  in  our  hearts  the  love  of  the  Cruci- 
fied." 

The  second  English  edition  has  been  prepared  from  the 
fourth  German  edition  with  the  addition  of  those  im- 
provements which  are  to  be  incorporated  in  a  fifth  Ger- 
man edition,  should  such  be   called   for. 

The  Author. 

Buffalo,  New  York. 

Feast  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  of  the 
Blessed  Virgin,  December,  8,  1907. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE. 

Preface iii 

Chapter  I. 
The  sufferings  of  Christ's  Soul  in  the  Garden  of  Olives, 

considered 1 

I.     As  to  their  nature 3 

II.     As  to  their   causes 7 

Chapter  II. 
Circumstances   surrounding  the  sufferings  of   Christ's 

Soul  in  the  Garden  of  Olives 13 

I.     The   circumstances    of  these   sufferings    .      .  14 

II.     The  motives  of  these  sufferings    ....  19 

Chapter  III. 

The  prayer  of  Christ  in  the  Garden  of  Olives  ...  24 

I.     Its    circumstances 26 

II.     Its   qualities 28 

III.     The  effects  of  the  threefold  prayer  of  Christ  31 

Chapter  IV. 

The  repeated  appeals  of  Christ  to  His  apostles  ...  36 

I.     The  reasons  of  the  appeals 37 

II.     The  words  which  Christ  spoke  to  the  apostles  42 

Chapter  V. 

The  treason   of  Judas 48 

I.     In  the  events  which  led  up  to  it  .      .      .      .  49 

II.     In  its  final  execution 55 

III.     In  its  innermost  source 60 

ix 


X  CONTENTS 

Chapter  VI. 

PAGE. 

The  seizure  of  the  Redeemer 64 

I.     Miracles  to  prove  His  Divine  Power  ...     66 
II.     Miracles  to  prove  His  Divine  Love   ...     69 

Chapter  VII. 
The  incidents  directly  following  the  seizure  ....     77 
I.     The   journey   from    the   mount   of   Olives   to 

Annas    . 78 

II.     The  preliminary  hearing  before  Annas   .      .     82 

Chaptek  VIII. 

The  trial  of  Christ  before  Caiphas 89 

I.     The  testimony   of  the  witnesses    .      .      .      .91 

II.     The  sentencing  of  the  accused 94 

III.     The  unlawful  maltreatment  of  the  Condemned     98 

ClIAPTEE   IX. 

The  three  denials  of  Peter 103 

I.     The  story  of  the  denial 106 

II.     Its  causes 110 

III.     The   repentance    following   it 116 

Chapter  X. 

The  death  of  the  traitor 120 

I.     Judas  penitent 123 

II.     The  heartless  and  hypocritical  high-priests   .    127 
III.     Despair  and  death  of  the  disciple  .      .      .      .130 

Chapter  XI. 

The  accusation  before   Pilate 135 

I.     The  motives  of  the  accusation 137 

II.     The  negotiations  with  Pilate  concerning  it   .  138 

III.     The  subject  of  the  accusation 143 

Chapter  XII. 

The  first  hearing  of  Christ  before  Pilate 148 

I.     The    hearing    detailed 149 

II.     The  chief  mistake  of  Pilate  during  the  hear- 
ing   155 


CONTENTS  XI 
Chapter  XIII. 

PAGE. 

Christ  before  Herod 161 

I.     Joy  of  Herod 163 

II.     Disappointment  of  Herod 168 

III.     Eevenge  of  Herod 173 

Chapter  XIV. 

Christ  and  Barabbas 178 

I.     Effort  of  Pilate  to  free  Christ 180 

II.     Its  result 183 

Chapter  XV. 

The  scourging  of  Christ 191 

I.     The  scourging  considered  in  itself     .      .      .191 
II.     The  special  reasons  why  Christ  wished  to  un- 
dergo it 197 

Chapter  XVI. 

The  crowning  with  thorns 201 

I.     The  legitimate  title  of  Christ  to  a  crowTi    .  203 

II.     The  insignia  offered  Him 205 

III.     The  homage  paid  Him 208 

Chapter  XVII. 

Ecce  Homo! 212 

I.     Another  effort  to  free  Christ 213 

II.     Its  result 215 

Chapter  XVIII. 
The  second  hearing  of  Christ  before  Pilate  .      .      .      .221 

I.     The  hearing  in   detail 221 

II.     The  mistakes  of  Pilate  during  his  progress  .  227 

Chapter  XIX. 

The  close  of  the  trial 232 

I.     The  last  effort  of  Pilate  to  free  Christ   .      .  233 

II.     The  solemn  declaration  of  His  own  innocence  236 

III.     The  condemning  to  death  of  the  Redeemer   .  240 


XU  CONTENTS 

Chapter  XX. 

PAGE. 

The  carrying  of  the  Cross 243 

I.     Preparation  for  the  last  journey   ....   244 
II.     Journey  to  the  gate  of  the  city   ....  247 

Chapter  XXI. 

The  march  to  the  place  of  execution 254 

I.     Sympathy  of  the  chief-priests 255 

II.     Sympathy  of  the  women  of  Jerusalem   .      .  259 

Chapter  XXII. 

The  execution 266 

I.     Final  preparations  for  the  crucifixion    .      .  268 

II.     The  crucifixion   itself 271 

Chapter  XXIII. 

The  first  word  of  Christ  on  the  cross 278 

I.     The  object  of  the  petition  contained  therein  .    280 
II.     The  reasons  adduced  by  Christ  why  it  should 

be   granted 283 

Chapter  XXIV. 

The  second  word  of  Christ  on  the  cross 290 

I.     Its    occasion 291 

II.     Its   meaning 297 

Chapter  XXV. 

The  third  word  of  Christ  on  the  cross 303 

I.     The  persons  to  whom  Christ  addressed  it   .  304 

II.     The  word  itself 309 

Chapter  XXVI. 

The  fourth  word  of  Christ  on  the  cross 315 

I.     Sense  of  the  complaint  contained  therein    .    316 
II.     Reasons  for  uttering  the  complaint    .      .      .319 
III.     Different  impressions  produced  by  it  on  the 

bystanders 323 

Chapter  XXVII. 
The  fifth  word  of  Christ  on  the  cross 327 


CONTENTS  xiii 

PAGE 

I.    Reasons  for  uttering  the  complaint  contained 

therein 329 

II.     Circumstances  and  character  of  the  complaint  331 
III.     Granting  of  the  prayer  contained  in  the  com- 
plaint     333 

Chapter  XXVIII. 

The  sixth  word  of  Christ  on  the  cross 337 

I.     The  death  of  Christ  on  the  cross  is  a  true 

sacrifice 338 

II.    The  death  of  Christ  on  the  cross  is  a  sacri- 
fice of  infinite  value 344 

Chapter  XXIX. 

The  seventh  word  of  Christ  on  the  cross 351 

I.     Its  meaning 352 

II.     Circumstances  of  its  utterance  .....  355 

Chapter  XXX. 

The  sufferings  of  Christ  on  the  Cross 362 

I.     The  sufferings  of  the  Crucified  in  His  sacred 

body 363 

II.     The  suflferings  of  the  Crucified  in  Jlis  honor  .  366 

III.     The  sufferings  of  the  Crucified  in  His  soul   .  373 

Chapter  XXXI. 
Wonderful  events  before  and  at  the  death  of  Christ   .   378 
I.     The  wonderful  incidents  considered  in  them- 
selves      379 

11.     The  diverse  effects  they  produced  on  men   .   385 

Chapter  XXXII. 

Events  immediately  following  the  death  of  Christ  .      .  389 

I.     Breaking  of  the  thieves'  bones 390 

II.     Opening  of  the  side  of  Christ 392 

Chapter  XXXIII. 
The  last  events  in  the  history  of  the  Passion    .      .      .   399 
I.     The  descent  from  the  cross 400 


Xiv  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

11.     The  preparation  for  burial 405 

ni.     The  burial 407 

Chapter  XXXIV. 

The  watch  at  the  tomb 413 

I.     Negotiations  with  Pilate  concerning  it   .      .415 
II.     The  watch  at  the  tomb  itself 420 

Notes 427 


HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

CHAPTER  I. 

THE   SUFPEEINGS   OF    CHRIST'S   SOUL   IN    THE  GARDEN 
OF   OLIVES 

The  Most  Holy  Sacrament  of  the  Altar  had  been 
instituted.  The  words  of  leave  taking  had  been 
spoken  by  the  Saviour.  The  hymn  of  praise,  pre- 
scribed by  the  law,  had  been  sung.  Then  Jesus, 
as  was  His  wont,  went  with  His  disciples  to  a 
garden  situated  on  the  ]\Iount  of  Olives,  The 
garden  was  distant  about  half  a  league  from  the 
Cenacle  and  belonged  to  a  farm  called  Geth- 
semane,  a  word  meaning  ''Oil  Press."  The  way 
led  over  the  brook  Cedron,  which,  fed  by  the  rains 
of  winter,  was  dry  in  mid-summer.  The  word, 
"Cedron"  means  a  dark,  obscure  ravine,  a  vale 
of  shadows.  This  name  had  been  given  the  stream 
either  because  of  the  darkness  spread  by  the  thick 
growth  of  woods  along  its  borders,  or  because  the 
valley  of  Josephat,  through  which  it  flowed,  was 
the  valley  of  sin,  the  valley  of  tombs.  For  there, 
in  olden  times,  sacrifices  were  offered  to  Moloch, 
there  the  Jews  w^ere  buried.  Every  year,  over  a 
specially  constructed  bridge,  which  spanned  this 
deep  rock-ribbed  ravine,  the  red  cow  was  led  to  the 

1 


2  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

Mount  of  Olives,  there  to  be  burnt  for  the  atone- 
ment of  the  people.  Over  the  same  way  the  scape- 
goat was  driven  out  to  be  devoured  by  wild  beasts, 
thus  to  give  vicarious  satisfaction  for  the  sins  of 
men.  We  now  behold,  following  the  same  way, 
the  Son  of  God,  the  Pure  One,  the  innocent  Lamb, 
Who  shall  take  away  the  sins  of  the  world.  In 
days  gone  by,  King  David  with  his  faithful  ad- 
herents had  also  crossed  the  Cedron,  in  tears  and 
his  head  covered  in  mourning,  for  he  was  fleeing 
from  his  son  Absalom.  Christ  crossed  the  brook, 
not  to  flee  from  His  enemies,  but  to  deliver  Him- 
self to  the  betrayer  in  the  Garden  of  Olives.  For 
Judas,  the  traitor,  knew  the  place,  because  Jesus 
had  often  gone  there  with  His  disciples,  especially 
in  the  days  just  passed. 

On  the  way,  Jesus,  in  clear  terms,  again  fore- 
told the  unfaithfulness  of  the  disciples,  especially 
of  Peter ;  but  they  would  not  believe  Him.  Peter, 
with  self-confident  presumption,  protested  anew 
that,  even  if  all  the  others  should  be  scandalized 
in  the  Master,  he  certainly  would  not;  that  he 
would  rather  die  with  Him  than  deny  Him.  Ex- 
tolling himself  above  the  others  by  his  assurances 
of  attachment  and  fidelity,  Peter  caused  them  to 
take  offense,  and  they  began  to  protest  in  like 
manner.  But  the  Lord  sought  to  prepare  them 
for  the  things  to  come  and  to  console  them,  even 
then,  by  directing  their  attention  to  His  proximate 
resurrection.  Conversing  on  these  themes,  they 
at  length  arrived  at  the  garden  of  Gethsemane. 

The  events  in  the  Garden  of  Olives  can  prop- 


SUFFERINGS  IN  THE  GARDEN  3 

erly  be  considered  under  the  following  heads: 
Christ  plunged  in  sadness  and  wrestling  with 
death;  Christ  praying  to  His  heavenly  Father; 
Christ  calling  on  His  disciples ;  Christ  betrayed  by 
Judas;  Christ  captured  by  His  enemies  and  for- 
saken by  the  apostles. 

Let  us  consider,  the  sufferings  of  the  Saviour's 
soul: 

I.    As  to  their  nature. 

II.    As  to  their  causes. 


The  sufferings  of  our  Saviour's  soul  in  their 
first  stage  are  described  in  the  following  manner 
by  the  evangelists:  St.  Matthew  writes,  ^*He  be- 
gan to  grow  sorrowful  and  to  be  sad.  Then  he 
saith  to  them:  My  soul  is  sorrowful  even  unto 
death."  St.  Mark  says,  "And  he  began  to  fear 
and  to  be  heavy.  And  he  saith  to  them:  My  soul 
is  sorrowful  even  unto  death." 

The  evangelists,  then,  make  use  of  three  ex- 
pressions in  characterizing  the  mental  sufferings 
of  the  Saviour.  They  speak  of  sadness,  of  fear 
and  of  heaviness  which  we  may  call  repugnance. 
Sadness  is  the  result  of  present  evil  that  already 
has  befallen  one;  fear  arises  from  the  thought  of 
future  evil,  to  avoid  which  seems  very  difficult; 
repugnance  is  felt  under  the  pressure  of  present 
inevitable  evils  and  at  the  thought  of  future  evils 
which  appear  unavoidable  and  are  therefore  con- 
sidered as  already  present. 

At  the  thought  of  present  or  future  evils,  we 


4  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

human  beings  are  overwhelmed  with  sadness,  fear 
and  repugnance.  For  these  passions  or  emotions 
do  not  arise  in  us  as  a  result  of  reason's  reflections 
or  of  free  will.  They  rather  have  their  origin 
in  the  lower  powers  of  the  soul,  whence  they 
ascend  to  the  higher  faculties,  moving  the  will  and 
alluring  its  sympathy.  They  run  ahead  of  the 
reflections  of  reason,  and  they  are  present 
before  one  is  aware  of  it.  They  therefore  render 
more  difficult  the  calm  apprehension  of  the  intel- 
lect. But  thus  far  there  is  no  personal  fault,  no 
sin.  It  is  merely  something  human,  a  peculiar  re- 
sult of  our  deteriorated  nature.  At  this  point 
however,  it  becomes  the  duty  of  the  intellect  and 
will  to  control  and  to  conquer  these  ebullitions  of 
passion  by  adducing  motives  of  reason  and  of  faith, 
and  also  by  prayer  and  correspondence  with  di- 
vine grace.  But  instead  of  acting  in  such  a  man- 
ner, our  wills  too  often,  through  our  own  fault, 
yield  and  allow  full  sway  to  the  emotions  and  per- 
mit us  to  be  carried  onward  to  sins  of  impatience, 
anger  and  others  similar,  all  of  which  causes  the 
reason  to  become  still  more  obscured. 

It  was  not  so  with  Christ.  All  that  He  suf- 
fered never  in  the  least  bedimmed  the  clear  appre- 
hension of  reason.  For  with  full  conviction  and 
freedom  He  first  presented  to  His  mind  the  causes 
of  sadness,  of  fear  and  of  repugnance.  Then,  it 
is  true,  He  permitted  these  emotions  to  produce 
their  painful  effects  to  the  fullest  extent  upon  His 
will  and,  through  the  will,  upon  the  other  facul- 
ties of  His  soul.     But  at  the  same  time  He  pre- 


SUFFERINGS  IN  THE  GARDEN  5 

sented  to  His  soul  counter-motives,  which  en- 
couraged Him  to  patiently  undergo  the  sufferings, 
and,  for  our  example.  He  simultaneously  addressed 
Himself  in  earnest  prayer  to  His  heavenly  Father. 
Thus  He  suffered  and  still  always  retained  perfect 
control  over  these  inner  emotions. 

We  are  here  confronted  by  a  great  mystery.  On 
the  one  hand,  the  soul  of  Christ  from  the  moment 
of  its  creation,  enjoyed  the  beatific  vision  and,  in 
consequence,  untold  happiness  whilst  in  the  mortal 
body;  but,  on  the  other,  it  experienced  sorrows 
from  other  causes  and  was  sad  even  unto  death.^ 
Only  a  most  incomprehensible  miracle  of  Divine 
Power  and  Love  could  bring  this  about  and  did 
bring  it  about  in  the  case  of  the  Saviour  alone. 
For  faith  teaches  us  that  the  blessed  in  heaven, 
owing  to  the  beatific  vision,  are  immune  from  any 
and  all  sufferings  and  that,  after  the  last  day, 
their  bodies  shall  also  be  impassible. 

In  the  second  stage,  the  sufferings  of  the  soul 
of  Christ  increased  to  a  real  fear  of  death,  whence 
they  passed  to  a  condition  of  agony,  or  death- 
struggle,  which  produced  a  bloody  sweat.  This  in- 
cident is  mentioned  by  the  evangelist  St.  Luke  in 
the  following  terms:  ''And  being  in  agony,"  i.  e., 
whilst  struggling  against  the  fear  of  death,  '*  he 
prayed  the  longer.  And  his  sweat  became  as 
drops  of  blood  trickling  down  upon  the  ground." 

How  shall  we  explain  the  fear  of  death  in 
Christ  ?     In  the  rest  of  men,  this  fear  usually  arises 

iNote  1. 


6  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

from  three  causes:  from  the  consciousness  of  sins 
committed  in  the  past,  from  the  uncertainty  of 
the  future  lot  awaiting  the  soul  and,  lastly,  from 
the  natural  reluctance  of  the  soul  to  leave  the  body. 
It  is  evident  that  in  Christ  the  fear  of  death  could 
not  arise  from  the  first  and  second  causes,  for  He 
had  nothing  to  regret  in  the  past,  and,  as  to  the  fu- 
ture. He  knew  full  well  that  He  would  go  to  the 
Father.  The  fear  of  death  in  Him  arose,  there- 
fore, from  the  last  mentioned  cause.  It  is  to  be 
remarked,  however,  that  the  fear  of  death  in  Him 
was  different  from  that  which  we  experience.  In 
us  the  repugnance  to  death  and  its  fear  are  felt 
without  the  consent  of  our  will,  even  against  its 
consent,  while  in  Christ  the  fear  of  death  was 
willed  with  full  deliberation  and  freedom. 

The  agony  of  the  Saviour  consisted  in  His  strug- 
gling with  the  whole  power  of  His  will  against 
the  fear  of  death  which  He  had  freely  admitted, 
in  His  subduing  and  conquering  it.  It  was,  in- 
deed, a  most  remarkable  conflict  in  the  heart  of 
the  God-Man.  Christ  there  appears  as  a  general 
who,  being  certain  of  victory,  challenges  and  pro- 
vokes the  enemy  to  combat,  but  only  to  conquer 
and  to  slay  him. 

The  bloody  sweat,  finally,  which  accompanied 
the  fear  of  death,  was  the  result  of  the  struggle 
and  not  of  the  fear.  Fear,  notably  the  fear  of  im- 
pending death,  does  not  drive  the  blood  out  of  the 
heart,  but  rather  back  to  it.  Fright  and  fear  pro- 
duce a  pale,  not  a  ruddy  complexion.  The  bloody 
sweat,  therefore,  was  the  result  of  the  death-strug- 


SUFFERINGS  IN  THE  GARDEN  7 

gle,  that  is,  of  the  great  elfort  of  will  power  to 
overcome  the  fear  of  death.  It  must,  indeed,  have 
been  a  powerful  effort,  which  drove  the  blood, 
after  it  had  rushed  through  fear  to  the  heart, 
back  through  the  sacred  body  to  find  vent  and 
burst  forth  in  great  drops  through  the  pores. 

There  He  lies,  the  Almighty,  the  Strong  One  of 
Israel,  the  Shield  of  the  Hero,  the  Lion  of  the 
tribe  of  Juda,  like  to  a  worm  trodden  in  the  dust, 
scarcely  able  to  emit  a  sigh.  Finally,  with  great 
effort.  He  rises.  He  uplifts  His  face  to  heaven, 
and  in  the  calm  light  of  the  full  moon  that  Holy 
Face  appears  covered  with  innumerable  red  drops, 
and  these  drops  are  the  heart's  blood  of  the  Son 
of  God,  which,  amid  the  most  fearful  pains,  is 
pressed  from  all  the  pores  of  His  sacred  Body. 
The  bloody  drops  fall  upon  the  earth  to  free  it 
from  the  ancient  curse,  and,  like  to  the  blood  of 
Abel,  they  cry  to  heaven,  not  for  vengeance,  how- 
ever, but  for  mercy.  "What  then,  we  have  a  right 
to  ask,  were  the  causes  which  gave  rise  to  these 
sufferings  of  the  soul? 

II. 

The  sufferings  of  the  soul  of  Christ  resulted 
chiefly  from  four  causes.  The  first  cause  was  the 
clear  knowledge  the  Saviour  had  of  all  the  pains 
He  had  to  endure  in  His  natural  body,  in  His  sac- 
ramental body,  and  in  His  mystic  body.  The  im- 
ages of  all  the  terrors  and  of  all  the  tortures  to  be 
brought  forth  by  the  coming  day  arranged  them- 
selves  vividly   before   His   eyes.     He   beheld   the 


8  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

bloody  scourge,  the  croTSTi  of  thorns,  the  dishonor 
of  the  purple  mantle,  the  false  testimonies,  the 
scornful  and  biting  jeers,  the  altar  of  sacrifice 
on  Golgotha.  These  dreadful  images  caused  Him 
to  feel  all  the  impending  pains  even  before  the 
rude  menial  raised  the  fearful  scourge,  before 
the  cruel  nails  pierced  His  sacred  hands  and  feet. 
The  mere  thought  of  an  approaching  operation  or 
of  a  threatened  disgrace  has  caused  many  a  one 
to  swoon.  Why  should  it  be  a  matter  of  surprise 
that  the  heart  of  the  Redeemer,  at  the  sight  of 
such  woes,  trembled  in  its  inmost  fibres  and  pre- 
maturely shed  its  blood?  Add  to  this  the  fore- 
knowledge of  all  the  wrong  and  ignominy  He  was 
to  suffer  in  His  sacramental  body  through  the  va- 
rious sins  against  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  of  all  the 
persecutions  and  outrages  which  would  be  heaped 
upon  His  mystic  body,  the  holy  Church,  by  infi- 
dels, heretics  and  schismatics,  by  cruel  tyrants, 
by  anti-Catholic  governments  and  from  the  scandal- 
ous lives  of  many  Catholics.  He  knew  that  He 
could  no  more  endure  these  pains  after  His  death, 
therefore  He  drank  in  advance  this  cup  of  suffer- 
ing in  the  garden  of  Gethsemane.  In  the  second 
place,  the  conduct  of  His  ungrateful  disciples  was 
to  the  Redeemer  a  source  of  untold  sadness.  One 
is  already  on  the  way  to  betray  Him  for  thirty 
pieces  of  silver;  another,  a  few  hours  hence,  will 
deny  Him;  all  are  indifferent  and  given  over  to 
careless  slumber.  In  ages  to  come,  the  example 
of  these  ingrates  will  be  followed  by  millions  of 
Christians  after  they  shall  have  reaped  the  abun- 


SUFFERINGS  IN  THE  GARDEN  9 

dance  of  His  benefits,  after  they  shall  have  been 
freed,  through  His  precious  Blood,  from  the  thral- 
dom of  Satan  and  nourished  with  His  own  sacred 
flesh.  Truly  the  Saviour  could  exclaim  with  the 
Psalmist,  ' '  I  am  become  a  stranger  to  my  brethren, 
and  an  alien  to  the  sons  of  my  mother.  And  I 
looked  for  one  that  would  grieve  together  with 
me,  but  there  was  none:  and  for  one  that  would 
comfort  me  and  I  found  none." 

The  third  cause  was  the  painful  knowledge  that 
all  His  struggles  and  sufferings  would  be  wasted 
on  innumerable  souls.  Hear  His  plaint  in  the 
words  of  Isaias,  the  prophet:  **I  have  labored  in 
vain,  I  have  spent  my  strength  without  cause  and 
in  vain."  May  God  grant  that,  in  these  pathetic 
lamentations,  his  thoughts  were  not  directed 
towards  any  of  us !  Above  all.  He  was  afflicted  at 
the  thought  of  the  awful  end  of  His  apostle  Judas, 
as  well  as  the  temporal  and  eternal  ruin  towards 
which  His  chosen  and  beloved  people  of  Israel  were 
drifting. 

All  this  is,  indeed,  more  than  sufficient  to  break  a 
heart,  even  though  that  heart  were  divine.  And 
still  St.  Chrysostom  says  that  we  should  err  were 
we  to  think  that  the  knowledge  of  all  these  suf- 
ferings was  the  principal  cause  of  the  mental  grief 
and  of  the  mortal  anguish  of  Christ.  For  no  mat- 
ter how  fearful  these  sufferings  were,  the  Re- 
deemer had  anxiously  desired  them  and  intensely 
longed  for  them.  No  matter  how  heavy,  how 
shameful  the  cross  might  be,  no  matter  that  to 
many  it  was  a  folly  and  a  scandal,  it  would  also 


10  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

bring  salvation  unto  many;  for  Christ  Himself  it 
would  be  the  foundation  of  His  Glory;  to  the 
heavenly  Father  it  would  bring  infinite  honor. 

It  must,  then,  have  been  something  else  that 
made  the  soul  of  Our  Saviour  tremble;  it  must 
have  been  something  else  that  could  make  of  a 
God  of  infinite  glory  a  God  struggling  with  death. 
It  was  sin.  ''The  sorrows  of  death  surrounded 
me :  and  the  torrents  of  iniquity  troubled  me. ' '  In 
the  hour  when  the  high  priests  and  pharisees  con- 
sulted together  in  the  court  of  Caiphas  how  they 
might  apprehend  Jesus,  the  heavenly  Father  im- 
posed upon  Him,  (the  purity  of  Hie  soul,  however, 
remaining  unsullied),  all  the  injustice  of  the  whole 
world,  the  sins  of  all  nations,  the  sins  of  all  times, 
the  sins  of  all  classes;  the  sins  of  kings,  the  sins 
of  subjects;  the  sins  of  the  rich,  the  sins  of  the 
poor;  the  sins  of  parents  and  the  sins  of  children. 
Is  it  a  wonder  that  this  burden  of  iniquities,  laid 
upon  the  Saviour,  should  press  Him  to  the  ground  ? 

To  us,  indeed,  who  know  so  little  of  the  super- 
natural, sin  often  appears  in  more  subdued  colors. 
We  excuse  it,  we  consider  it  a  mere  weakness, 
something  natural,  a  result  of  youth  and  of  tem- 
perament. We  fear  at  most  the  penalties  of  sin 
threatened  by  God 's  anger.  But  the  soul  of  Christ 
saw,  clearly  and  distinctly,  not  only  the  entire 
series  of  sins,  from  the  disobedience  of  our  first 
parents  down  to  the  desolations  of  dooms-day, 
but  also  all  the  malice,  all  the  abomination,  the  re- 
volt, the  contempt,  the  dark  ingratitude  contained 
in  each  and  every  sin.     Even  when  we  recognize 


SUFFERINGS  IN  THE  GARDEN  11 

the  wrong  done  to  Almighty  God  by  our  sins,  we 
take'  it  little  to  heart,  because  we  love  Him  so  lit- 
tle. But  the  soul  of  Christ,  which  sought  nothing 
more  strenuously  than  the  glory  of  His  heavenly 
Father  and  which  loved  Him  with  an  immeasura- 
ble love  greater  than  that  of  all  the  Cherubim  and 
Seraphim,  felt  most  vividly  the  wrong  inflicted  on 
the  Divine  Majesty  by  sin.  The  sorrows  of  David 
over  the  injustices  of  the  chosen  people,  the  grief 
and  indignation  of  Elias  at  the  scandals  and  the 
idolatries  of  Israel,  the  tears  of  the  prophet  Jere- 
miah over  the  infidelities  of  Jerusalem  were  merely 
faint  figures  of  the  sadness  of  Jesus  when  He  be- 
held the  sins  of  the  entire  world. 

And  if  this  be  true,  we  cannot  shut  out  from  our 
hearts  another  consideration.  At  the  sight  of  our 
sins  a  God  is  seized  with  painful  disquiet,  and  we 
remain  calm.  A  God  is  sad  over  our  sins,  and  we 
take  pleasure  therein.  A  God  sweats  blood  for 
our  sins,  and  we  never  shed  a  tear.  We  sin  and, 
instead  of  hesitating  and  trembling,  we  think,  per- 
haps, *'I  have  sinned  and  what  harm  hath  befal- 
len me?"  At  the  sight  of  our  sins  a  God-Man 
writhes  in  agony,  and  we,  perhaps,  live  on  in  a 
dreadful  torpor  which  is  an  insult  to  the  agony 
of  Christ,  in  a  false  security,  which,  in  a  way,  is 
more  terrible  than  sin  itself.  We,  perhaps,  shall 
slumber  on  in  utter  blindness  until  that  hour  in 
which  the  voice  of  the  eternal  Judge  will  awaken 
us.  Oh,  dreadful  moment  in  which  the  Redeemer, 
now  mute  and  patient  in  the  Garden  of  Olives, 
burdened  down  with  the  mountain  of  our  sins,  will 


12  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

"Unsheathe  before  the  sinner  the  flaming  sword  of 
vengeance!  Oh,  dreadful  moment,  in  which  the 
same  Redeemer,  who  now  sheds  His  blood  for  our 
sins,  will  demand  of  the  sinner  an  account  of  the 
blood  shed  in  vain!  Oh,  most  dreadful  moment, 
in  which  the  heart,  now  tortured  out  of  love  for 
us,  even  unto  death,  will  appear  glowing  with 
eternal  wrath ! 

Still,  however  great  our  fault  may  be,  even  if 
our  sins  be  as  numerous  as  the  grains  of  sand  on 
the  sea-shore,  we  must  not  despair.  Now  is  still 
the  time  of  grace,  even  now,  from  all  the  pores  of 
the  Redeemer  wrestling  with  death.  His  precious 
blood  is  being  shed  for  us,  even  now  His  divine 
Heart  is  beating  warmly  for  us.  Let  us  firmly  re- 
solve to  flee  the  monster  sin  which  caused  a  God 
to  tremble;  by  means  of  the  Precious  Blood,  to 
purify  ourselves  in  the  sacrament  of  Penance,  and, 
henceforth  so  to  live  as  to  justify  the  hope  that, 
when  we  shall  writhe  in  the  throes  of  death,  the 
agony  of  Christ  may  bring  us,  not  despair,  but 
solace;  not  ruin,  but  salvation. 


CHAPTER  II. 

CIRCUMSTANCES    SURROUNDING    THE    SUFFERINGS    OP 
CHRIST  IN   THE  GARDEN   OF  OLIVES 

"  And  he  saitli  to  them :  My  soul 
is  sorrowful  even  unto  death." 

(St.  Mark,  xiv.,  34.) 

In  considering  the  history  of  the  Passion,  we 
must,  as  much  as  possible,  pass  in  review  not 
only  the  chief  events,  but  also  the  subordinate  oc- 
currences, even  minute  details  narrated  by  the 
evangelists.  Whatever,  that  is  to  say,  the  Holy 
Ghost,  through  the  Sacred  Scriptures,  has  made 
known  to  us  concerning  the  person,  the  work  and 
the  Passion  of  Christ,  cannot  be  considered  small 
or  trivial ;  it  must  be  worthy  of  our  consideration 
and  mature  reflection.  These  various  outward  cir- 
cumstances are  often  full  of-  deep  mystery,  and, 
when  we  penetrate  into  their  meaning,  they 
heighten  the  interest  in  the  chief  event  itself. 
Furthermore,  for  a  thorough  understanding  of  the 
facts,  it  is  also  very  useful  to  examine  and  investi- 
gate, with  humble  moderation,  in  so  far  as  our 
limited  powers  will  permit,  their  inward  circum- 
stances, i.  e.,  the  causes  why  they  should  and  must 
have  happened  as  they  did. 

We  shall,  therefore,  stop  at  the  subject  of  our 
13 


14  HISTOKY  OF  THE  PASSION 

first  chapter  in  order  to  impress  more  clearly  on 
our  minds  the  picture  of  the  Saviour,  sad  even 
unto  death  and  bathed  in  His  blood.  Let  us  con- 
sider 

I.     The  circumstances  of  His  sufferings; 
II.     The  motives  which  induced  Him  to  suffer. 

I. 

The  outward  circumstances  of  the  sufferings  of 
the  Eedeemer's  soul  are  threefold:  circumstances 
of  place,  of  time  and  of  persons. 

Let  us  consider  first  the  circumstances  of  place. 
Christ  began  His  Passion  in  a  garden,  more  pre- 
cisely, in  an  olive-garden.  "When  the  Redeemer 
felt  that  the  hour  of  His  capture  was  drawing 
nigh,  He  left  the  Cenacle.  He  would  not  cause 
discomfort  to  the  good  man  who  had  generously 
opened  his  house  to  Him  for  the  institution  of  the 
Most  Holy  Sacrament.  He  wished  to  spare  this 
friend  all  annoyance  which  might  come  to  him, 
were  the  Lord  to  be  seized  in  his  house.  He  left 
the  city  altogether.  Beyond  its  walls,  in  God's 
open  country.  He  decided  to  begin  and  to  end  His 
Passion,  to  show  that  He  shed  His  blood  not  for 
Jerusalem  alone,  but  for  the  entire  world.  For 
the  beginning  of  His  Passion,  He  chose  a  wonder- 
fully beautiful  garden.  How  significant  this 
choice  was!  In  a  garden  the  first  Adam  had  com- 
mitted the  first  sin,  the  sin  of  disobedience;  there- 
fore it  was  in  a  garden  that  the  second  Adam 
should  say  to  His  Father,  "Not  what  I  will,  but 
what  thou  wilt. "     In  a  garden  Adam,  by  an  abuse 


CIRCUMSTANCES  OF  THE  AGONY  15 

of  liberty,  had  plunged  the  entire  human  race  into 
the  most  shameful  captivity;  in  a  garden,  there- 
fore, by  the  bonds  of  Christ  our  fetters  were  to 
be  broken.  In  a  garden  God  had  pronounced  the 
death-penalty  upon  Adam;  hence,  in  a  garden 
Christ  would  take  upon  Himself  this  judgment 
and  this  curse.  In  a  garden  the  human  race  was 
lost;  and  usually  an  object  is  sought  where  it  was 
lost.  Christ  had  come  into  the  world  to  lay  out 
a  garden  wherein,  amid  splendor  and  abundance, 
there  should  thrive  the  violet  of  humility,  the 
myrtle  of  mortification,  the  rose  of  love,  the  lily 
of  virginal  souls,  the  laurel  of  confessors  and  the 
palm  of  martyrs.  It  was  necessary,  then,  that  He 
should  water  and  render  fertile  by  His  precious 
blood  the  soil  of  this  garden.  The  garden  of  Geth- 
semane  was  furthermore  an  olive  garden,  at  least 
it  contained  quite  a  number  of  olive  trees,  and, 
according  to  several  interpreters  of  Holy  Writ, 
the  oil  for  the  use  of  the  temple  was  obtained  here. 
This  circumstance,  again,  is  full  of  significance. 
''Oil  illiunines,"  says  St.  Bernard,^  ''it  nourishes 
and  heals."  All  these  effects  were  to  be  produced 
by  the  blood  of  Christ  in  the  Christian  temple,  and 
that  in  an  infinitely  greater  degree  than  by  the 
fruit  of  the  olive-tree  in  the  Jewish  temple.  For 
Christ  is  the  great  olive-tree,  on  which  the  heathen 
were  grafted,  according  to  St.  Paul  the  Apostle. 
Now  as  the  oil,  before  it  could  be  used  in  divine 
service,  had  to  be  pressed  forcibly  from  the  fruit, 

1  S.  Bern.  serm.  15.  sup.  Cant.  n.  5. 


16  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

SO  the  blood  of  Christ  also  must  be  forced  from  His 
Sacred  Body  in  His  mighty  agony. 

Let  us  pass  on  to  the  circumstances  of  persons. 
Christ  permitted  only  three  of  His  apostles  to  be 
witnesses  of  His  agony,  namely,  Peter,  John  and 
James.  The  reasons  are  easily  surmised.  First, 
Christ  had  specially  prepared  these  three,  and  only 
these  three,  for  the  contemplation  of  this  scene. 
*'The  rest/'  as  Origen  makes  the  Lord  say,  ''as 
the  weaker  ones,  I  have  invited  to  remain  seated; 
but  of  you,  as  of  the  stronger  ones,  I  expect  that 
you  labor  with  Me  in  watching  and  in  prayer." 
Here  we  see  how  true  the  saying  of  Scripture  is 
that  God  does  not  allow  man  to  be  tempted  above 
that  which  he  is  able. 

Furthermore,  these  three  apostles  had  made 
greater  promises  than  the  others.  Christ  had  asked 
John  and  James,  ''Can  you  drink  of  the  chalice 
that  I  drink  of?"  They  courageously  answered 
Him,  "We  can."^  And  Peter  had  assured  the 
Lord  that  it  would  be  an  easy  matter  for  him  to 
die  with  Him. 

Then  again,  the  sight  of  the  Eedeemer,  praying 
that  the  chalice  of  suffering  might  pass  and  re- 
ceiving no  answer  to  His  prayer,  should  show  these 
apostles  that  God  will  not  be  satisfied  with  mere 
promises,  but  that  they  also  must  drain  the  same 
chalice.  Finally,  these  same  apostles  were  to  be, 
more  than  the  others,  the  supports  and  pillars  of 
the  Church ;  Peter  was  even  to  be  its  head.     There- 

1  St.  Mark,  x.,  38,  39. 


CIRCUMSTANCES  OF  THE  AGONY  17 

fore  it  was  meet  that  they  have  a  greater  share 
in  the  cross  of  Christ.  For  this  reason,  people 
in  high  positions,  superiors  and  parents,  must 
always  expect  greater  tribulations,  which  are  in- 
separably and  especially  connected  with  the  duty 
of  vigilance. 

But,  that  He  might  be  more  undisturbed  in 
prayer,  Christ  retired  a  stone's  cast  from  these 
three  apostles  also.  ''He  was  withdrawn  away 
from  them,"^  says  the  evangelist.  These  words 
show  us  His  great  love  for  His  apostles.  To  leave 
them,  He  had,  as  it  were,  to  make  a  violent  effort. 
They  also  show  how  great  His  sadness  was.  It  is 
natural,  in  sorrow,  to  wish  to  be  with  friends. 
Christ  made  this  sacrifice  also  to  His  heavenly 
Father.  St.  Anselm  says  the  Saviour  retired  to  a 
small  elevation,  so  that,  in  the  light  of  the  full 
moon,  the  three  disciples  could  observe  Him  from 
the  distance  mentioned. 

In  contrast  with  His  agony,  the  seizure  of  Christ 
which  followed  was  to  take  place  in  presence  of 
the  whole  college  of  apostles.  They  all  were  to 
witness  the  fact  that  Christ  freely  allowed  Him- 
self to  be  bound,  therefore  He  first  threw  His  ene- 
mies to  the  ground.  This  circumstance  also  pre- 
cluded any  possible  accusation  that,  when  alone, 
He  was  surprised  in  the  act  of  some  great  crime  and 
therefore  arrested.  The  pharisees  would  certainly 
have  found  false  witnesses  to  swear  to  such  an  out- 
rage. 

1  St.  Luke,  xxii.,  41. 
2 


18  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

There  remain  the  circumstances  of  time  to  be 
considered.  It  was  towards  eight  o'clock  in  the 
evening  when  Christ  set  forth  to  begin  His  passion. 
This  is  the  hour  when  millions  of  people,  millions 
of  Christians,  ay,  millions  of  Catholics  set 
forth  to  seek  the  embrace  of  sinful  pleasures. 
From  nine  until  twelve  o'clock  at  night,  Christ 
was  sad  unto  death.  He  trembled  and  quaked, 
He  fell  in  agony,  He  shed  a  bloody  sweat.  What 
an  awful  contrast  this  picture  of  the  suffering 
Saviour  presents  to  the  noisy  carousals,  frivolous 
dances,  shameless  ballets,  secret  meetings,  lustful 
orgies  which  in  exactly  these  hours  of  the  night, 
defy  the  blood  of  Christ.  At  the  sight  of  these 
abominations  the  heart  of  the  God-Man  would  fain 
lose  its  strength  and  its  courage :  He  trembled  and 
shrank  back  in  fear. 

Another  circumstance  of  time  is  not  to  be  over- 
looked. The  death-struggle  and  agony  are  usually 
the  immediate  precursors  of  death.  Why  was  it 
not  thus  with  Our  Lord  ?  This  is  the  reason.  Had 
Christ  undergone  His  agony  on  the  cross  in  the 
last  hours  of  His  life,  it  would  have  appeared  as 
if  He  died  as  a  result  of  His  agony  or  of  weakness. 
But  He  wished  to  show  the  world  that  He  suffered 
death  of  His  own  free  will.  Nevertheless,  as  He 
would  not  forego  the  pains  of  agony.  He  suffered 
them  in  the  garden. 

This  leads  us  to  the  second  part,  that  is,  to  the 
consideration  of  the  motives  which  induced  Christ 
to   take   upon   Himself,   although  they   were   not 


CIRCUMSTANCES  OF  THE  AGONY  19 

necessary  for  our  salvation,  the  sufferings  of  the 
soul  above  described. 

II. 

The  first  motive  was,  as  the  Fathers  tell  us,  the 
intention  of  convincing  us  of  the  reality  of  His 
human  nature.  At  the  death  of  Christ  the  di- 
vine nature  revealed  itself  more  prominently.  And 
indeed,  when  we  reflect  how  the  most  cruel  pains 
failed  to  extinguish  the  life  of  the  Saviour  as  He 
hung  on  the  cross,  how,  contrary  to  all  laws  of 
nature.  He  exclaimed  with  a  loud  voice,  *'  Father, 
into  thy  hands  I  commend  my  spirit,"  how  He 
then  bowed  His  head  and  died,  we  must  avow  that 
only  a  God  could  so  die.  Wherefore  the  centur- 
ion cried  out,  ''Indeed  this  man  was  the  Son 
of  God."  The  agony,  however,  affords  the  most 
powerful  proof  of  man's  impotence,  shows  that 
he  is  in  truth  mortal.  Christ  wished  to  con- 
vince us  of  this  fact  regarding  Himself.  Had  His 
body  been  merely  a  phantom,  as  later  heretics 
asserted,  our  redemption  would  not  be  an  accom- 
plished fact,  because  the  blood  of  a  God-Man  was 
to  be  its  price.  Thus  did  the  agony  of  Jesus 
Christ,  His  fear  and  trembling  and  the  blood  that 
issued  from  every  pore  of  His  sacred  Body  put  to 
confusion  in  advance  all  these  heretics. 

In  assuming  such  sufferings  of  soul,  Christ  de- 
sired, moreover,  to  atone  for  our  abuse  of  the  fac- 
ulties of  the  soul,  for  all  sinful  thoughts,  imagi- 
nations   and    desires;    through    His    sadness,    He 


20  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

wished  to  atone  for  the  pleasure  felt  by  the 
sinner  in  satisfying  his  passions.  Especially  did 
Christ  intend  to  begin  His  Passion,  the  source  of 
all  weal,  where  sin,  the  source  of  all  woe,  takes  its 
beginning.  "For  from  the  heart  come  forth  evil 
thoughts,  murders,  adulteries,  fornications,  thefts, 
false  testimonies,  blasphemies,"  says  Christ  Him- 
self.^ For  this  reason,  the  heart  of  the  God-Man 
was  to  be  tortured  and  martyred  before  His  sacred 
Body  was  cut  with  lashes.  His  head  crowned  with 
thorns  and  His  hands  and  feet  pierced  with  nails. 

Furthermore,  Christ  intended  to  encourage,  by 
His  example,  all  those  who,  like  to  Himself,  should 
die  a  martj^r's  death  and  to  merit  for  them  all  the 
necessary  graces.  There  is  no  doubt  that  many  of 
the  holy  martyrs,  notwithstanding  their  ardent 
desire  for  the  martyr's  crown,  were  sad  in  their 
hearts  unto  death,  trembled  and  feared  at  the 
thought  of  approaching  pains,  at  the  thought  of 
the  wild  beasts,  the  burning  fagots,  the  red  hot 
tongs  and  the  hundreds  of  other  instruments  of 
torture.  But  then  they  remembered  how  their 
Saviour,  who  had  also  such  a  longing  desire  for 
the  cross,  was  seized  with  agony  at  the  approach 
of  His  passion.  This  thought  dispelled  all  pusil- 
lanimity, all  fear.  It  raised  them  out  of  their  sad- 
ness, it  filled  them  with  confidence,  so  that  strength- 
ened by  the  grace  of  Christ,  they  heroically  ap- 
proached their  tortures,  even  with  greater  joy  than 
that  of  the  bride  meeting  the  bridegroom. 

1  St.  Matthew,  xv.,  19. 


CIRCUMSTANCES  OF  THE  AGONY  21 

When,  again,  we  behold  Christians  on  their 
death-bed  looking  death  with  all  its  terrors  calmly 
in  the  face  and  exclaiming  triumphantly  with  St. 
Paul,  "O  death,  where  is  thy  victory?  0  death, 
where  is  thy  sting  ?".^  must  we  not  say  that  this 
is  one  of  the  effects  of  the  agony  of  Jesus  Christ  ? 

Finally,  "nowhere,"  says  St.  Ambrose,^  ''does 
the  love  and  majesty  of  Jesus  cause  more  admira- 
tion in  me  than  in  this  sadness,  in  this  agony.  It 
was  not  enough  for  Him  to  assume  my  nature,  He 
also  assumed  my  feelings  and  my  sensations.  He 
who  had  no  reason  to  be  sad  for  Himself,  wished 
to  feel  my  sadness."  And  so  it  is.  In  assuming 
those  sufferings  of  the  soul,  the  Saviour  thought 
of  us.  He  foresaw  all  the  mental  sufferings  that 
would  be  ours,  and  mental  anguish  is  the  greatest 
and  most  painful  of  all.  He  saw  mothers  mourn- 
ing over  the  disobedience  and  bad  behavior  of  their 
children;  fathers  who  know  not  whence  to  obtain 
the  daily  bread  for  their  families ;  the  sick  utterly 
discouraged  and  afflicted,  and  those  unhappy  souls 
who  have  been  despoiled  by  calumny  of  their  rep- 
utation. 

Then  there  are  the  young  who  are  about  to  lose 
courage  at  the  repeated  onslaughts  of  temptation. 
All  ye  disconsolate  souls,  be  consoled  at  the  sight 
of  the  Redeemer,  sad  unto  death,  and  reflect  that, 
by  His  bloody  sweat,  He  has  gained  for  you  the 
grace  to  support  the  sufferings  of  your  souls  with 

1 1.  Cor.,  XV.,  55. 

2Ainbr.  Exp.  s.  Luc.  1.  10.  56. 


22  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

patience  and  with  merit.  How  many  a  great  sin- 
ner has  felt  himself  relieved  when,  frightened  by 
the  great  number  of  his  sins  and  tortured  by  re- 
morse, he  in  spirit  plunged  himself  into  the  depths 
of  that  Heart  which  was  so  cruelly  frightened  and 
tortured  by  those  very  sins;  when  he  united  his 
well  deserved  mental  sufferings  with  the  sorrow  of 
the  Saviour  and  offered  them  to  God  in  a  spirit  of 
penance.  Then  the  star  of  hope  began  to  shine 
upon  this  sinner  on  the  brink  of  despair.  It  was 
the  first  step  to  his  conversion.  Let  us,  then,  have 
courage  and  confidence  whenever  sadness  comes  to 
us. 

Especially  when  the  last  hour  approaches  and 
the  agony  of  death  seizes  upon  us,  let  us  remember 
the  Saviour  sad  unto  death,  so  that  in  our  death- 
struggle  we  may,  like  the  saints,  be  strengthened 
and  comforted  at  the  thought  of  the  death-struggle 
of  Christ.  But  that  will  happen  only  if,  while  we 
still  have  health,  we  meditate  often  and  piously 
upon  the  agony  of  Christ  and  impress  his  sorrows 
deeply  upon  our  hearts.  Otherwise,  at  the  moment 
of  death,  we  shall  think  of  every  thing  else  but  of 
our  divine  model.  The  principal  fruit,  then,  of 
this  consideration  ought  to  be  the  firm  resolve 
often  to  reflect,  with  the  grace  of  God,  on  the 
agony  of  Jesus  Christ,  especially  in  the  season  of 
Lent  and  on  the  Fridays  throughout  the  year.  It 
would  also  be  very  salutary,  if  the  occasion  should 
offer,  to  become  affiliated  to  a  confraternity  having 
that  object  and  to  assist  devoutly  at  its  meetings 
and  devotions. 


CIRCUMSTANCES  OF  THE  AGONY  23 

In  conclusion,  let  us  repeat  the  prayer  which 
Holy  Church  says  at  the  bedside  of  the  dying. 
'*0  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  through  Thy  holy  agony 
and  Thy  prayer  which  Thou  hast  offered  for  us 
upon  the  Mount  of  Olives,  when  Thy  sweat,  as 
drops  of  blood,  trickled  down  upon  the  ground, 
vouchsafe,  we  beseech  Thee,  to  present  and  to  offer 
to  God,  the  Father  Almighty,  against  the  mul- 
titude of  all  our  sins,  the  abundance  of  Thy  bloody 
sweat,  which  Thou  hast  copiously  shed  for  us  in 
fear  and  trembling,  and  to  deliver  us  in  the  hour 
of  our  death  from  all  the  pains  and  anguish 
which,  we  fear,  we  have  merited  for  our  sins. 
Who  livest  and  reignest  with  the  Father  and  the 
Holy  Ghost,  world  without  end.    Amen." 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE   PRAYER    OF    CHRIST    EST    THE   GARDEN    OF    OLIVES 

"  My  father,   if  it   be   possible,   let 
this  chalice  pass  from  me.  Neverthe- 
less not  as  I  Avill,  but  as  Thou  wilt." 
St.   Math.,  xxvi.,   39. 

The  sensations  of  sadness,  of  fear  and  of  re- 
pugnance to  suffering  and  death,  which  Our  Sav- 
iour had  freely  admitted,  gradually  developed  into 
a  real  death-agony.  The  gospel  further  narrates  ^ 
that  during  these  sufferings  of  soul,  Christ  lay 
prone  on  the  ground,  flat  upon  His  face.  This 
prayer,  however,  as  we  shall  hereafter  more  closely 
observe,  was  interrupted  twice  by  His  going  to  His 
apostles.  The  sum  and  substance  of  the  thrice  of- 
fered prayer  was,  ''My  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let 
this  chalice  pass  from  Me.  Nevertheless  not  as  I 
will,  but  as  Thou  wilt."  After  Jesus  had  offered 
this  prayer  for  the  third  time,  an  angel  appeared 
to  submit  to  Him  the  will  of  the  Father  and  to  en- 
courage Him  to  overcome  His  fear  of  death.  Af- 
ter that,  He  no  more  returned  to  the  three  apostles, 
but  He  persevered  in  prayer ;  as  St.  Luke  narrates. 
He    prayed   the    longer.     Meantime    He   wrestled 

iSt.  Mathew,  xvi,  39-46;  St.  Mark,  xiv.,  35-42;  St. 
Luke,  xxii.,  41-43. 

24 


THE  PRAYER  IN  THE  GARDEN       25 

with  death  in  such  an  effort  that  He  sweat  blood. 
Holy  writ  has  not  made  known  to  us  the  burden  of 
this  last,  longer  prayer.  But  assuredly,  after  be- 
ing strengthened  by  the  angel.  He  no  longer 
prayed  that  the  chalice  might  pass  from  Him,  He 
rather  prayed,' '  Father,  Thy  will  be  done. ' '  When 
the  struggle  in  which  He  overcame  the  agony  was 
over.  He  returned  to  the  three  disciples.  When 
he  found  them  again  sleeping.  He  said  to  them  in 
mournful  grief,  if  all  my  admonitions  avail 
naught,  do  as  you  deem  best,  **  Sleep  ye  now  and 
take  your  rest."  But  as  just  then  the  clash  of 
weapons  resounded,  He  added,  *'It  is  enough. 
Rise  up."  In  these  words.  He  summoned  the  three 
disciples  to  rise  and  go  with  Him  to  meet  the 
enemy.  ^  Frightened  by  the  noise  of  the  soldiers, 
the  eight  other  apostles  ran  as  quickly  as  possible 
towards  the  Saviour,  but  whether  they  arrived  soon 
enough  to  witness  the  kiss  of  Judas  cannot  be  de- 
termined with  certainty. 

We  shall  now  fix  our  eyes  upon  the  praying 
Saviour.  That  He  prayed  is  certainly  nothing 
novel,  for  the  gospel  teaches  us  that  He  prayed 
during  his  whole  life.  But  as  by  His  prayers  in 
the  house  of  Nazareth  and  during  His  public  career 
He  wished  to  show  us  how  we  should  sanctify  our 
youth  and  the  duties  of  our  state  of  life  by  prayer, 
just  so,  by  His  prayer  in  the  Garden  of  Olives,  He 
would  be  our  model  in  the  hour  of  suffering  and 
at  the  hour  of  death.     The  thrice  repeated  prayer 

iNote  2. 


26  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

of  the  Redeemer  is,  indeed,  very  instructive,  if  we 
consider 

I.     The  circumstances, 
II.     The  qualities  and 
III.     The  effects  of  this  prayer. 


The  first  circumstance  which  makes  the  prayer 
of  Christ  instructive  is  that  He  prayed  at  a  time 
of  extreme  sadness,  in  other  words,  while  He  was 
in  a  frame  of  mind  in  which  thousands  of  others 
would  say,  I  cannot  pray.  It  is  indeed  most  un- 
fortunate that  Ave  neglect  prayer  in  times  of 
trouble,  vexation,  sadness  and  other  depressions  of 
the  soul.  Many,  even,  neglect  their  praters  when 
they  are  somewhat  out  of  sorts  or  in  bad  humor. 
And  still  prayer  is  never  so  necessary  as  in  times 
of  depression.  For  it  is  in  just  such  moments 
that  the  evil  enemy  attacks  us  with  his  temptations 
and  that  our  natural  resources  are  weak  to  resist 
them.  And  if  we  then  seek  not  help  from  above  in 
earnest  prayer,  we  yield  to  temptation.  Then  fol- 
low complaints  against  God's  Providence,  curses 
and  blasphemies.  Some  drown  their  grief  in 
dram  shops,  others  seek  solace  in  the  impure 
lusts  of  the  flesh.  And  is  it  not  a  fact  that  many 
a  one,  urged  on  by  discouragement  and  despair, 
has  sought  to  put  an  end  to  a  miserable  existence 
by  committing  suicide?  We  should,  then,  follow 
the  example  of  our  divine  Saviour,  who  being  sad 
unto  death,  prayed  three  times  over  to  the  Father. 
"We  should  say  to  ourselves,  Christ  could  pray  in 


THE  PRAYER  IX  THE  GARDEN       27 

all  the  anguish  of  His  soul,  consequently  we  can 
do  it  also.  Then  we  shall  experience  what  the 
Psalmist  ^  says  of  himself,  ' '  My  soul  refused  to  be 
comforted.  I  remembered  God  and  was  de- 
lighted." 

Christ  prayed  while  His  friends  slept.  It  may 
happen  that,  in  the  midst  of  woe,  we  are  entirely 
deserted.  And  if  it  happen  not  in  life,  it  will 
certainly  happen  at  the  moment  of  death,  when, 
all  alone,  we  must  face  the  tribunal  of  God.  Then 
nothing  remains  for  us  but  to  pray  and  to  remem- 
ber that  ''Our  help  is  in  the  name  of  the  Lord."  ^ 
Christ  prayed  while  His  disciples  slept.  We  must 
also  pray  when  among  the  sleeping,  that  is, 
when  we  must  needs  be  among  luke-warm  and 
slothful  Christians,  in  order,  on  the  one  hand,  not 
to  become  affected  by  their  example,  and,  on  the 
other,  to  arouse  them  by  the  cry  of  our  prayer 
from  their  dangerous  sloth.  So  in  a  family,  a 
single  member  who  knows  how  to  pray  well,  is 
often  the  greatest  blessing  to  the  rest.  But  if 
those  must  pray  who  are  among  the  sleeping,  how 
much  more  those  who  are  among  the  dead,  i.  e., 
among  sinners,  and  who  must  associate  all  day 
long  with  people  whose  hearts  are  full  of  malice 
and  whose  tongues  are  full  of  impurity. 

Finally,  Christ  prayed  while  His  enemies  were 
banding  together  to  take  Him  prisoner  and  to 
deliver  Him  to  the  most  shameful  death.     In  this 

1  Psalms,  Ixxvi.,  3,  4. 
zPsalmSj  cxxiii,,   8. 


28  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

circumstance  we  are  shown  the  weapon  to  be  used 
when  the  same  Christ,  either  in  His  Bride,  the 
Catholic  Church,  or  in  us,  His  brethren  and  mem- 
bers, is  attacked  by  the  dark  powers  of  this  world. 
This  weapon  is  none  other  than  prayer.  When 
Peter  incontinently  wielded  the  sword,  Christ  re- 
proved him  and  commanded  him  to  sheathe  it. 
Armed  with  prayer  alone,  joined  to  the  patient 
bearing  of  trials,  may  we  meet  our  enemies.  The 
first  Christians  understood  well  the  example  and 
the  teaching  of  their  Master.  We  find  them, 
therefore,  joined  together  in  prayer  in  order  to 
obtain  the  freedom  of  the  first  Pope  held  in  bond- 
age. And  thus  it  happened  in  all  succeeding  cen- 
turies, whenever  the  tragedy  of  the  garden  of 
Olives  was  repeated  in  Holy  Church.  Hence,  we 
also,  in  these  troublous  times,  should  use  trust- 
ingly the  weapon  of  prayer  and  confidently  hope 
that  the  liberation  of  Holy  Mother  Church  may 
be  brought  about  by  Him  who  directs  the  hearts 
of  kings  as  He  wills  and  who,  besides,  has  the 
power  to  cast  down  and  lay  low  the  wicked  as  He 
would  the  vessel  of  the  potter. 

The  thrice  offered  prayer  of  Christ  is,  therefore, 
instructive  when  we  consider  its  circumstances, 
but  it  is  just  as  instructive  when  we  consider  its 
qualities. 

II. 

The  prayer  of  the  Saviour  unfolds  to  us  the 
consoling  truth  that  we  are  allowed  to  pray  with 
our  whole  soul  for  the  removal  of  temporal  suf- 


THE  PRAYER  IN  THE  GARDEN       29 

ferings.  But  that  our  prayer  may  have  a  claim 
to  a  hearing,  it  must  have  the  qualities  of  the 
prayer  of  Christ. 

In  the  first  place,  Christ,  whilst  praying, 
showed  the  greatest  outward  respect.  *'He  knelt 
down  and  fell  upon  His  face."  This  indeed  must 
silence  all  those  who  are  so  prompt  and  decided 
in  condemning  all  external  manifestations  of  in- 
terior devotion.  For  if  ever  any  man  could  deem 
himself  dispensed  from  external  marks  of  rever- 
ence, it  was  certainly  the  God-Man  whose  Most 
Holy  Body,  by  virtue  of  its  intimate  union  with 
the  second  Person  of  the  Godhead,  had  been  raised 
to  such  an  immense  dignity.  But  if,  nevertheless, 
the  Most  Sacred  Body  of  Christ  lay,  as  he  prayed, 
prostrate  upon  the  ground  and  if  the  Saviour  did 
not  dare  to  raise  His  countenance  toward  heaven, 
what  awe  should  not  appear  in  the  body  of 
the  sinner,  who,  laden  not  with  the  sins  of  others 
but  with  his  own,  approaches  God  in  prayer.  I 
do  not  wish  to  champion  the  cause  of  exaggera- 
tion and  of  affectation.  When  we  pray,  however, 
our  interior  respect  must  show  itself  externally. 
The  Saviour  at  prayer  teaches  us  this.  Is  it  not 
remarkable  that  there  should  be  Christian  men 
who  are  ashamed  to  bend  the  knee  to  God  Al- 
mighty and  who  believe  that  their  dignity  would 
be  compromised  were  they  to  kneel  before  Him 
who  is  their  Creator  and  their  eternal  Judge? 
But  those  who,  in  the  house  of  God,  give  scandal 
to  others  by  silly  and  impertinent  behavior  can 
only   be   people   of   thoughtless  brains   or  of  de- 


30  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

praved  morals.  They  are  proud  spirits,  slaves  of 
human  respect.  "When  we  are  about  to  pray,  we 
should,  then,  be  recollected  and  remember  who  we 
are  and  who  He  is  with  whom  we  are  to  con- 
verse. 

Let  us  observe,  furthermore,  that  childlike  con- 
fidence in  which  the  Redeemer  gives  expression  in 
the  words,  "My  Father."  Although  visited  by 
God  with  such  terrible  afiflictions.  He  calls  Him  His 
father.  How  differently  we  act!  When,  to  pun- 
ish us  for  sin,  to  furnish  us  with  an  opportunity 
of  doing  penance  or  of  gaining  merit  for  heaven, 
God  visits  us  in  affliction,  the  word  "Father"  falls 
from  our  lips  only  by  means  of  a  great  effort, 
because,  in  our  inmost  heart,  we  are  tempted  to 
consider  God,  not  as  a  father,  but  rather  as  a  cruel 
master  or  a  tyrant.  And  still,  let  us  rest  assured, 
we  can  hardly  show  God  greater  reverence  than 
by  confidently  addressing  Him  by  the  sweet  name 
of  father,  in  the  hour  of  affliction. 

We  should  further  learn  from  Christ  to  per- 
severe in  prayer.  Christ  prayed,  but  heaven  re- 
mained closed.  He  prayed  the  second  and  the 
third  time  and,  as  the  evangelist  says,  it  was  al- 
ways the  same  prayer.  Hence  we  must  also  pray 
with  perseverance ;  if  we  would  be  heard,  we  must 
not  grow  weak  or  weary  in  repeating  to  God  the 
same  petition.  How  great  must  have  been  the  an- 
guish of  soul  of  the  Redeemer!  With  the 
most  intense  desire  He  had  yearned  for  the  cup 
of  suffering.  And  now,  when  it  is  offered  Him, 
He  repeatedly  begs  that  it  may  pass  from  Him. 


THE  PRAYEU  IN  THE  GARDEN       31 

We  ought,  finaUy,  to  admire  the  perfect  resig- 
nation of  the  Redeemer  to  the  divine  wiU.  *'If  it 
be  possible.  Nevertheless  not  as  I  will,  but  as 
Thou  wilt."  And  let  us  here  consider  what  tor- 
tures and  sorrows  were  contained  in  the  chalice 
to  be  drained  by  the  Redeemer,  and  we  shall,  as  a 
consequence,  show  more  patience  and  more  resig- 
nation to  God's  Holy  Will  in  our  much  lighter 
trials. 

Lastly,  the  thrice  offered  prayer  of  Christ  in  the 
Garden  of  Olives  is  instructive  if  we  consider  its 
effects. 

III. 

The  first  effect  of  the  prayer  of  Christ  is  de- 
scribed in  the  following  words  of  the  Gospel: 
*'And  there  appeared  to  him  an  Angel  from 
Heaven  strengthening  him."^  This  angel,  ac- 
cording to  some  interpreters,  was  St.  Gabriel,  ac- 
cording to  others,  St.  IMichael,  the  former  being 
the  angel  of  the  Incarnation,  the  latter  the  van- 
quisher of  the  fallen  spirits.  The  King,  then,  of 
the  Holy  angels.  He  who  is  Divine  Power  itself, 
the  Consoler  of  hearts,  is  strengthened  and  con- 
soled by  an  angel !  It  is,  indeed,  wonderful !  We 
can  understand  how,  at  the  birth  of  Christ,  the 
angels  descended  with  joy  to  intone  the  first  gloria 
in  honor  of  their  Lord.  We  can  understand  also 
how,  later  on,  after  the  Saviour  had  fasted  forty 
days  and  forty  nights,  the  same  angels  came  and 
ministered  unto  Him.     But  that  an  angel  should 

1  St.  Luke,  xxii.,  43. 


32  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

approacli  his  Creator  in  the  quality  of  a  con- 
soler, is  strange  to  the  last  degree.  Still,  God  had 
so  willed  it,  and  Christ,  with  an  humble  heart, 
took  from  one  of  His  creatures  that  comfort  which 
He  might  have  had  from  and  of  Himself.  Is  this 
not  a  touching  and  an  attractive  scene?  Does 
not  such  humility  render  the  Lord  infinitely  lova- 
ble and  dear  to  us?  From  this  occurrence  we 
learn,  furthermore,  that  in  our  trials  we  can  ex- 
pect efficacious  help  from  heaven  above.  It  is 
worthy  of  note  also  that  Almighty  God  could  not 
in  a  more  beautiful  and  impressive  way  show  us 
what  confidence  we  ought  to  place  in  the  holy 
angels. 

We  now  arrive  at  the  query  as  to  what  the 
comfort  given  to  Christ  by  the  angel  really  con- 
sisted in.  Did  it  consist  in  the  removal  of  the 
chalice  of  suffering,  as  it  did  in  the  case  of  Abra- 
ham, when  the  angel  commanded  him  to  sheathe 
the  sword  raised  over  Isaac?  Certainly  not.  The 
chalice,  which,  because  He  so  willed  it,  contained 
nothing  but  bitterness  for  Him,  was  shown  to  the 
Saviour  by  the  angel  from  another  point  of  view 
and  in  a  more  favorable  light  so  that  it  lost  all 
that  was  abhorrent  and  repulsive  and  appeared 
as  something  desirable  and  precious.  Above  all, 
he  showed  Christ  the  will  of  the  heavenly  Father 
engraven  upon  the  cup,  and  he  reminded  Him  of 
His  own  words,  "My  meat  is  to  do  the  will  of 
him  that  sent  me. ' '  ^     Then  he  showed  Him  the 

iSt.  John,  iv.,  34. 


THE  PRAYER  IN  THE  GARDEN       33 

glory  of  the  holy  Cross,  how  from  His  death  there 
should  accrue  to  the  heavenly  Father  in  finitely 
more  honor  and  glory  than  from  the  united 
praises  of  all  creatures.  Then,  again,  he  let  pass 
before  His  mental  vision  all  the  millions  of  men 
who  would  be  irretrievably  lost  if  He  persisted  in 
His  request  and  all  the  millions  of  souls  who  were 
awaiting  in  limbo  the  hour  of  redemption.  He 
further  represented  to  the  Redeemer  His  passion 
as  the  foundation  of  His  own  glory  and  pointed 
out  how,  for  all  eternity,  thanks  would  arise  to 
Him  as  to  the  Saviour  and  Redeemer  of  the  world. 
By  means  of  these  and  similar  thoughts  the  angel 
worked  upon  the  will  of  the  Lord  in  order  to  de- 
termine Him  to  accept  the  cup  of  suffering.  And 
what  a  mighty  result  he  achieved!  Before  this 
the  Saviour  quaked  and  trembled  at  the  sight 
of  impending  woe;  now  he  combats  this  fear  of 
death  with  such  efforts  that  the  bloody  sweat 
flows  from  His  pores.  Before  this  He  prayed, 
howbeit  with  resignation,  that  the  chalice  might 
pass  from  Him ;  now  He  prays  for  this  alone,  that 
the  will  of  God  be  done.  Before  this,  He  repeat- 
edly interrupted  His  prayer,  now  this  prayer  is 
continuous,  and  His  soul  is  entirely  immersed  in 
God.  Before  this.  He  sought  solace  with  His  dis- 
ciples, and  now  He  tells  them,  "Rise  up,  let  us 
go,"  and  courageously  He  goes  to  meet  the  enemy. 
That  was  the  first  effect  of  the  prayer  of  Jesus 
Christ  in  the  Garden  of  Olives. 

From  these  last  considerations  three  important 
truths  are  brought  to  our  knowledge.     Just  as  cer- 


34  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

tain  as  it  is  that  the  prayer  which  we  address  to 
heaven,  in  imitation  of  the  Saviour,  shall  be  heard, 
just  so  certain  is  it  that  this  will  not  always  hap- 
pen in  the  manner  which  we  desire.  But  if  Al- 
mighty God,  instead  of  removing  the  bitter  cup, 
gives  us  the  strength  to  support  our  trials  or  even 
greater  ones  with  patience,  even  with  joy,  should 
we  not  be  grateful  to  Him  throughout  all  eternity  ? 
Again,  we  should  become  accustomed  to  consider 
the  cup  we  must  drain  from  another  point  of 
view  and  in  a  more  favorable  light.  We  should 
also  see  engraven  upon  it  the  will  of  our  heavenly 
Father.  We  should  not  forget  that  God's  honor 
and  our  glory  are  increased  by  patient  suffering, 
and  then  all  our  murmuring  and  complaining  will 
cease.  Finally,  Christ  made  the  most  powerful  ef- 
fort to  accomplish  the  will  of  His  heavenly  Father 
in  a  matter  which  was  so  difficult  that  it  caused  Him 
to  sweat  blood.  We  ought,  therefore,  to  be  ashamed 
of  our  sloth  and  our  cowardice  which  cause  us,  at 
the  least  difficulty,  to  cease  our  struggle  against 
evil  and  to  destroy  God's  commandments.  And 
surely,  we  have  never  yet  resisted  evil  to  the  shed- 
ding of  blood. 

The  second  effect  of  the  prayer  of  Christ  is 
described  in  the  following  words  of  St.  Leo :  ^ 
"  This  word  of  the  Head,  '  Thy  will  be  done,' 
hath  brought  weal  to  the  whole  body.  The  word 
hath  enflamed  all  confessors,  hath  crowned  all  mar- 
tyrs.    For  who  would  have  victoriously  overcome 

1  Serm.  2  de  Pass.,  c.  5. 


THE  PRAYER  IN  THE  GAILDEX  35 

the  hatred  of  the  world,  the  storms  of  temptations 
and  the  fearful  tortures  of  the  persecutors,  if 
Christ  had  not,  in  the  Garden  of  Olives,  suffered 
in  all  and  for  all,  if  He  had  not  said  in  all  and  in 
the  name  of  all,  'Thy  will  be  done?'  " 

In  all  our  tribulations,  we  should,  therefore,  pray 
with  the  Saviour:  "  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let 
this  chalice  pass  from  me.  Nevertheless  not  as 
I  will,  but  as  thou  wilt/'  Especially  should  it  be 
our  prayer  on  our  death-bed,  when  mortal  agony 
approaches  to  seize  upon  us.  It  is  true,  our  heav- 
enly Father  is  not  likely  to  send  us  an  angel  from 
heaven  in  visible  shape.  But  Christ,  the  King  of 
all  angels,  the  Son  of  God  Himself,  will  come  to 
us  under  the  sacramental  appearances.  Even 
more,  He  will  enter  our  hearts  to  strengthen  us 
in  our  agony  and  mortal  combat  and  to  lead  us 
happily  from  time  into  eternity. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  REPEATED  APPEALS  OF  CHRIST   TO  HIS  APOSTLES 

"  And  he  cometh,  and  findeth  them 
sleeping.  And  he  said  to  Peter:  Si- 
mon, sleepest  thou?  couldst  thou  not 
watch  one  hour  ?  Watch  ye  and  pray 
that  ye  enter  not  into  temptation." 
St.  Mark.,  xiv.,  37,  38. 

Christ  prayed  during  the  sufferings  of  soul 
which  He  had  of  His  own  free  choice  taken  upon 
Himself.  The  more  violent  they  became,  the  more 
also  did  He  strive  to  overcome  His  fear,  and  the 
more  perseveringly  and  devoutly  did  He  pray. 
All  this  was  for  our  instruction.  In  order  to 
control  our  inordinate  passions,  we  must  strive 
and  pray.  By  our  own  strength  alone  we  can- 
not obtain  the  victory;  we  must  secure  for  our- 
selves God's  help  by  means  of  prayer.  Again,  the 
grace  of  God  alone  will  not  bring  us  success;  we 
must,  on  our  part,  co-operate  with  grace.  Our 
efforts  and  our  prayers  must  grow  in  earnestness 
and  perseverance  proportionately  as  passion  in- 
creases in  force. 

The  evangelists  St.  Matthew  (xxvi.,  40-44),  St. 
Mark  (xiv.,  37-41)  and  St.  Luke  (xxii.,  45,  46) 
state  that  Christ  not  only  interrupted  His  prayer 
several  times,  but  that  He  even    left    the    place 

36 


THE  APPEALS  TO  THE  APOSTLES  37 

where  He  was  praying  and  went  to  His  disciples; 
which  is  indeed  astonishing.  It  might  appear  that, 
as  He  was  preparing  for  death,  He  would,  to  give 
us  an  example,  devote  no  further  thought  to  the 
world,  but  occupy  Himself  solely  with  God.  Let 
us  therefore  consider 

I.     The  reasons  of  the  repeated  visits  of  Christ 

to  His  apostles  and 
II.     The  words  which  He  spoke  to  them. 

I. 

There  were  two  reasons  which  determined  the 
Saviour  to  interrupt  His  prayer  and  seek  His 
disciples.  The  first  reason  was  the  desire  to  find 
some  consolation  in  His  sadness.  In  fact,  experi- 
ence teaches  that  the  fire  of  mental  grief  is  intensi- 
fied by  being  confined  to  its  own  hearth.  It  has 
drawn  many  into  melancholy  and  even  into  despair. 
It  is  also  universally  acknowledged  that  nothing 
relieves  the  heavy  heart  or  consoles  the  sad  soul 
as  much  as  the  imparting  of  one's  grief  to  a  true 
friend.  It  was,  then,  not  only  weakness  freely  ad- 
mitted, but  also  the  intention  of  instructing  us 
which  led  Christ  to  His  disciples  that  He  might 
unbosom  His  grief  to  them.  It  must,  therefore, 
be  allowable  to  appeal  to  others  for  the  purpose  of 
finding  solace  and  encouragement  in  grief,  sadness 
and  mental  anguish.  But  in  so  doing,  we  must  ob- 
serve three  rules. 

What  should  be  the  nature  of  our  complaints? 
This  we  may  gather  from  the  words  addressed  by 
the  Redeemer  to  His  disciples  before  leaving  them 


38  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

to  pray:  ''My  soul  is  sad  unto  death."  Here  we 
have  the  model  of  a  legitimate  complaint.  It  con- 
tains nothing  but  the  recital  of  fact  in  as  far  as 
it  concerned  the  Saviour.  Yet  certainly  Christ 
had  cause  to  speak  harshly  against  those  who  were 
preparing  to  do  Him  the  greatest  of  all  wrongs 
and  to  rob  Him,  the  Innocent,  of  life.  As  op- 
posed to  His  plaint,  the  plaints  of  men  are,  at 
times,  naught  else  but  explosions  of  anger,  slander 
and  calumnies. 

Moreover,  Christ  does  not  unfold  His  sorrows  to 
the  first  comer,  nor  even  to  all  of  His  apostles. 
Only  three  were  permitted  to  share  His  grief. 
We  also,  in  communicating  the  burdens  of  our 
heart,  should  use  great  circumspection.  It  would, 
for  example,  be  not  only  foolish,  but  sinful  also, 
for  a  wife  and  a  mother  to  reveal  her  family  trou- 
bles to  all  her  neighbors,  because  very  often  the 
honor  of  her  husband  and  children  would  thereby 
be  damaged  to  a  great  extent. 

Finally,  Christ  does  not  complain  solely  to  His 
apostles,  but  He  addresses  Himself  chiefly  to  His 
heavenly  Father.  Too  often  in  sadness  and  afflic- 
tion we  forget  God  entirely  and  seek  solace  and 
support  from  men  alone. 

But  while  it  is  allowable  and  profitable  thus  to 
share  with  faithful  friends  our  afflictions,  it  be- 
comes almost  necessary  when  they  arise  from  an- 
noying temptations.  In  this  case,  however,  they 
ought  to  be  communicated  to  one  of  the  apostles 
only  or  to  one  of  their  successors.  In  case  it  ap- 
pear difficult  or  humiliating  to  reveal  to  another 


THE  APPEALS  TO  THE  APOSTLES 


39 


such  shameful  temptations,  one  should  consider  the 
well  nigh  inconceivable  humiliation  undergone  by 
Christ  In  looking  for  consolation  and  comfort  to 
His  disciples.     Does  not  the  Redeemer,  in  fact,  re- 
semble  a  general,  who,   after  having  spurred  on 
his  troops  for  vears  to  deeds  of  valor,  gives  way 
now  to  mortal  fear  at  the  sight  of  the  enemy  and 
feels  constrained  to  beg  for  comfort  and  encour- 
agement from  his  subalterns?     Do  not  say  that  it 
will  be  useless  anyway  to  tell  this  or  that  to  your 
confessor.     It  may  be  that  from  his  own  resources 
the  confessor  can  help  you  just  as  little  as  the 
apostles  helped  the   Lord.     But   if,   accordmg  to 
the  Saviour's  example,  you  humble  yourself  before 
your    fellow-man    and    give    yourself    to    earnest 
prayer,  then  God  will  help  you  even,  if  needs  be, 
by  sending  you  an  angel  from  heaven  to  encour- 
age you  in  the  combat  and  to  comfort  you. 

°The  second  reason  which  urged  the  Lord  to  in- 
terrupt His  prayer  and  seek  His  disciples,  was 
His  love  for  them.  If  the  expression  be  permissi- 
ble, it  was  the  anxiety  lest  harm  had  befallen  them, 
it  was  the  desire  to  ascertain  what  they  were  do- 
ing and  how  they  were  faring.  We  know,  of  a 
certainty,  that  for  three  whole  years  Christ  had 
cared  for  His  disciples,  had  watched  over  them 
and  protected  them  as  much  as  any  loving  mother 
would  her  only  child.  But  there  are  two  circum- 
stances which  reveal  to  us  in  the  clearest  light  the 
love  of  His  heart  for  His  apostles. 

The  first  is  that  Christ  thought  of  them,  was 
anxious  about  them,  when  He  lay  in  the  agony 


40  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

of  death.  He  was  anxious  about  them  while  in 
a  condition  in  which  we,  yielding  to  pain,  would 
think  only  of  ourselves  and  in  which  we  certainly 
would  refuse  to  think  of  any  one  else.  Not  only 
in  the  heat  of  fever  but  often  also  in  slight  mala- 
dies, we  care  nothing  for  our  best  friends  and  are 
short  and  indifferent  in  our  manner  toward  them. 
Secondly,  Christ  thought  of  His  disciples  and 
was  anxious  about  them  in  an  hour  when  their  be- 
havior made  them  unworthy  of  His  love.  For 
three  years.  He  had  done  so  much  for  them.  They 
had  on  former  occasions  often  been  ungrateful  for 
His  devotion;  but  now  they  add  thereunto  this 
ingratitude  that,  while  their  Divine  Master  is 
plunged  in  sadness  and  in  the  agony  of  death, 
they,  lacking  in  courage  and  wanting  in  sympathy, 
fall  asleep.  What  a  contrast  between  these  sleep- 
ing disciples  and  friends  of  Jesus  and  the  wide- 
awake enemies!  Judas  is  awake  to  betray  Christ; 
Caiphas  and  the  high  priests  are  awake  to  con- 
demn Him;  the  menials  and  soldiers  are  awake  to 
bind,  scourge  and  crucify  Him:  but  the  disciples 
are  asleep.  How  that  must  have  saddened  our 
Saviour's  heart!  What  Christ  experienced  then, 
His  Bride,  the  Church,  experiences  now.  She  is 
downcast  and  sad  even  unto  death.  An  armed 
rabble  threatens  to  deal  her  the  death  blow  at  any 
moment.  And  mighty  governments  who  call  them- 
selves Christian  and  who  even  glory  in  the  title 
of  Catholic  look  on  without  emotion  and  draw 
around  themselves  more  closely  the  heartless  cloak 
of  neutrality  and  non-intervention.     The  satellites 


THE  APPEALS  TO  THE  APOSTLES      41 

of  Satan  develop  a  feverish,  restless  activity  to 
annihilate  Christianity  and  to  wipe  it  from  the  face 
of  the  earthy  and  thousands  of  Catholic  men  stand 
by  and  will  not  move  a  hand  to  defend  the  good 
cause  and  the  interests  of  Holy  Mother  Church. 

By  His  appeal  to  the  apostles  under  the  circum- 
stances which  we  have  noted,  the  Saviour  teaches 
all  superiors  and  Christian  parents  in  particular 
three  important  lessons.  Nothing  can  dispense  you, 
Christian  parents,  from  the  duty  of  watching  over 
your  children  and  giving  heed  that  no  harm  befall 
their  immortal  souls;  nothing,  I  repeat;  neither 
sorrow  nor  affliction,  nor  any  cross  of  suffering, 
not  even,  I  might  say,  approaching  death;  much 
less  work  and  business,  much  less  still,  lassitude 
or  fatigue,  and  least  of  all  love  of  ease  and  com- 
fort. Think  of  this,  Christian  parents,  when,  re- 
turning tired  from  your  work  in  the  evening  you 
would  seek  repose,  though  your  older  children  still 
require  your  vigilant  care.  Nothing  dispenses  you 
from  this  vigilance,  not  even  the  ingratitude  with 
which  the  children  repay  your  love,  nor  their  dull- 
ness of  intellect,  nor  their  insubordination,  nor 
their  disobedience,  nor  their  indifference  to  your 
adverse  fortunes.  You  may,  therefore,  never  say: 
our  children  do  not  heed  our  commands  and  our 
wishes;  let  them  go  and  do  as  they  please.  It  is 
true  that  if  grown  children  are  guilty  of  continued 
insubordination  or  of  scandalous  conduct,  parents 
have  the  right  to  cast  them  adrift,  but  as  long  as 
they  tolerate  them  at  home,  they  are  in  duty  bound 
to  watch  over  their  conduct  and  morals  and  to 


42  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION" 

see  that  they  perform  their  religious  duties. 
Learn,  lastly,  from  the  Saviour  to  unite  vigilance 
with  prayer.  It  would  be  wrong  to  be  so  engrossed 
with  the  care  of  your  children,  that  thereby  you 
would  neglect  to  pray  for  yourselves  and  for  them. 
On  the  other  hand,  it  would  also  be  wrong  and  it 
would  denote  a  counterfeit  sort  of  piety  were  you 
to  increase  your  practices  of  devotion  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  relegate  to  the  background  the  duties 
of  watching  over  your  children  and  of  admonish- 
ing and  instructing  them.  You  must  do  the  one 
and  not  neglect  the  other.  Christ  shows  you  how 
you  can  and  must  do  both.  Let  us  now  listen  to 
the  words  which  Christ  spoke  to  His  apostles. 

IL 

It  was  with  no  little  grief  that  Christ  found 
the  three  apostles  in  sound  slumber.  It  altered  his 
purpose  of  confiding  in  them,  and  He  spoke  to 
them  merely  a  word  of  reproach  and  a  word  of 
admonition.  In  the  language  of  the  evangelists 
St.  Matthew  and  St.  Mark,  the  word  of  reproach 
was :  ' '  Simon,  sleepest  thou  ?  Could  you  not  watch 
one  hour  with  me?"  This  reproach  deserves  our 
attention  for  several  reasons. 

In  the  first  place  it  was  a  just  reproach.  Before 
Christ  entered  the  garden  of  Olives,  He  had  told 
the  apostles  in  express  words  that  now  the  hour 
of  temptation  had  arrived,  that  now  there  was 
danger  that  they  leave  Him  and  deny  the  faith. 
Again,  later,  He  gave  to  the  three  the  distinct 
command  to  watch  and  pray  during  His  absence 


THE  APPEALS  TO  THE  APOSTLES  43 

in  order  to  overcome  by  these  means  the  impend- 
ing temptation.  They  did  neither  the  one  nor  the 
other.  They  slept.  They  knew  themselves  that 
they  deserved  the  reproach,  for  they  had  no  excuse 
to  offer.  "And  they  knew  not  what  to  answer 
Him/'  says  Holy  Writ.^  And  what  could  they 
answer  to  justify  themselves?  When  they  were 
fishing,  they  could  watch  the  whole  night.  *' Mas- 
ter, we  have  labored  the  whole  night. ' '  ^  But  now, 
still  early  in  the  evening,  after  being  refreshed  by 
supper,  they  fall  asleep.  When  the  boat  was  about 
to  sink  and  their  life  was  in  danger,  they  knew 
how  to  pray,  ' '  Lord  save  us,  we  perish. ' '  ^  But 
now,  when  their  souls  are  in  danger,  they  do  not 
feel  inclined  to  pray.  However,  we  should  not  be 
too  severe  with  the  apostles;  many  Christians  are 
far  more  reprehensible.  They  spend  entire  nights, 
not  merely  in  work  and  affairs  of  business,  but  in 
dangerous  pleasures  and  amusements,  in  the  sat- 
isfaction of  sensual  lusts,  in  fact  in  anything  which 
leads  to  hell.  But  at  evening  prayers  or  during 
the  sermon,  they  are  asleep.  They  sleep  at  home 
even  on  Sundays  when  they  ought  to  be  at  mass. 
In  afflictions  and  trials,  in  impending  peril,  hands 
are  raised  high  to  heaven;  in  temptation,  when 
prayer  is  most  necessary,  prayer  is  omitted. 

The  reproach  expressed  by  the  Saviour  was 
just  also,  inasmuch  as  he  who  deserved  it  most, 
received  the  greatest  share  of  it.     Certainly  that 

1  St.  Mark,  xiv.,  40. 

2  St.  Luke,  v.,  5. 

3  St.  Matthew,  viii.,  25. 


44  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

was  Peter.  He  was  destined  by  the  Saviour  to 
be  the  head  of  the  others.  He  had  also  made 
greater  promises.  For  that  reason,  Christ  first 
said  to  Peter  alone  what  He  thereafter  said  to 
all:  ''Simon,  sleepest  thou?"  How  this  word 
must  have  penetrated  the  heart  of  the  apostle! 
How  it  must  have  spread  confusion  over  his  coun- 
tenance! Once,  when  Christ  had  appointed  him 
to  be  the  guardian  of  the  apostolic  college.  He 
changed  his  name  from  Simon  to  Peter.  Now  He 
addressed  him  by  his  former  name  as  though  He 
would  say:  If  you  cannot  exercise  vigilance  over 
yourself  and  your  brethren,  you  are  not  worthy 
of  the  name  of  Peter.  Woe,  then,  to  all  spiritual 
and  temporal  rulers,  to  all  masters,  woe  to  all 
parents  especially,  who,  through  lack  of  vigilance 
and  of  earnest  prayer,  are  the  cause  of  thousands 
and  thousands  of  sins  committed  by  their  children 
and  by  their  subordinates! 

Secondly,  the  reproach  of  our  Saviour  was  ex- 
tremely mild.  In  the  few  words,  earnest  though 
they  were,  which  He  addressed  to  them,  there  was 
no  trace  of  anger  or  of  undue  excitement.  On 
the  contrarj^  He  recognized  their  good  will.  "The 
spirit  indeed  is  willing,  but  the  flesh  is  weak." 
He  knew  that  their  fault  was  the  result  of  weak- 
ness, not  of  malice  nor  of  grievously  culpable  neg- 
ligence. The  gospel  tells  us  that  sadness  caused 
them  to  fall  asleep.  On  that  account,  the  Lord 
used  a  different  language  and  spoke  in  a  different 
tone  to  the  hardened  pharisees,  and  on  the  traf- 
fickers in  the  temple  He  used  a  scourge. 


THE  APPEALS  TO  THE  APOSTLES  45 

Thirdly,  Christ  reprimanded  the  apostles  with 
prudent  moderation.  When  at  His  second  ap- 
proach He  found  them  again  asleep,  for  which 
they  surely  deserved  a  sharper  rebuke,  He  re- 
frained from  reproving  them  at  all,  for  He  saw 
that  in  that  moment  they  were  not  susceptible  of 
correction. 

When  our  calling  requires  us  to  reprimand  oth- 
ers, we  should  learn  from  the  Saviour  to  punish 
with  justice  and  with  mildness,  especially  when  the 
delinquent  shows  a  good  will.  It  is  unreasonable 
and  foolish  when  parents,  for  trivial  faults,  con- 
tinually scold  well-intentioned  children;  it  is  de- 
moralizing and  sinful  to  overwhelm  them  with  a 
flood  of  injurious  epithets.  Neither  should  we 
punish  when  we  have  reason  to  fear  that  the  culprit 
will  not  take  the  punishment  in  good  part  and 
that  he  is  not  susceptible  of  reproof.  It  is  more 
advisable  then  to  postpone  the  correction  to  some 
future  time  in  order  that  there  be  not  more  harm 
done  than  good.  In  imitation  of  the  apostles  we 
should,  when  receiving  the  correction  of  superiors, 
preserve  humble  silence.  We  must  not  deceive 
ourselves;  we  must  acknowledge  our  faults  and 
refrain  from  all  frivolous  excuses. 

The  reprimand  of  the  Saviour  was  followed  by 
a  word  of  admonition.  It  was  the  same  advice  He 
had  given  them  before  He  had  retired  to  pray. 
"Watch  ye  and  pray  that  ye  enter  not  into  temp- 
tation;"^ or  translated  more  literally,  ''that  ye 

iSt.  Matthew,  xxvi.,  38;  St.  Mark,  xiv..  Si;  St.  Luke, 
xxii.,  40. 


46  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

walk  not  too  willingly  into  temptation,"  and  be- 
come caught  and  entangled  therein  as  birds  in  a 
net.  This  is  not  the  place  to  expound  elaborately 
the  necessity  of  vigilance  and  of  prayer.  I  only 
call  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  words  given 
above  are  the  last  admonition  of  the  Saviour  to 
His  apostles.  We  may,  then,  be  convinced  that 
these  parting  words  contain  the  best  and  the  most 
useful  advice  which  Christ  could  give  His  apostles 
for  their  eternal  salvation.  They  must  be  the  sum- 
mary of  all  that  the  apostles  had  to  observe  in 
order  to  avoid  sin  and  to  save  their  souls.  And 
they  understood  their  Master  and  kept  His  word. 
It  was  not  by  spreading  admiration  over  the  en- 
tire world  as  teachers,  nor  by  working  signs  and 
wonders,  nor  by  revealing  the  future,  but  it  was 
by  watching  and  praying  throughout  their  lives 
that  they  became  saints,  saints  of  heaven. 

These  apostles  to  whom  the  Redeemer,  in  part- 
ing, so  earnestly  recommended  vigilance  and 
prayer,  were  simple,  ordinary  men.  They  had  for 
three  years  lived,  remote  from  the  world  and  its 
dangers,  in  the  immediate  presence  of  their  divine 
model  and  instructor.  Hence  they  had  an  ardent 
love  for  Him.  How  can  we,  then,  enter  heaven 
without  vigilance  and  prayer,  we  who  are  so  luke- 
warm and  cold  in  the  love  of  Christ?  How,  with- 
out vigilance  and  prayer,  can  they,  above  all,  hope 
for  perseverance  in  grace  and  for  eternal  salva- 
tion, who  live  in  the  midst  of  the  dangers  and 
scandals  of  a  godless  and  immoral  world?  We 
should,  therefore,  consider  the  last  admonition  of 


THE  APPEALS  TO  THE  APOSTLES      47 

Christ  as  addressed  to  ourselves,  impress  it  deeply 
upon  our  hearts  and  shape  our  lives  in  accordance 
with  it.  Then  we  shall  also  receive  the  crown  of 
eternal  glory  which  is  at  the  same  time  the  reward 
of  combat  and  the  gift  of  grace. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  TREASON  OF  JUDAS 

"  And  forthwith  coming  to  Jesus,  he 
said:  Hail,  Rabbi.  And  he  kissed 
Him.  And  Jesus  said  to  him: 
Friend,  whereto  art  thou  come  ?  '* 

(St.  Matthew,  xxvi.,  49-50.) 

While  Christ  was  speaking  to  His  apostles,  be- 
hold, Judas  Iscariot,  one  of  the  twelve,  came  and 
with  him  a  great  multitude  with  swords  and  clubs, 
with  lanterns  and  torches,  sent  from  the  high- 
priests  and  ancients  of  the  people.  The  high- 
priests  who  played  a  leading  role  in  the  history  of 
the  Saviour's  passion,  appear  now  for  the  first 
time.  In  reality,  there  were  not  several  high- 
priests  in  actual  office  at  the  same  time,  but  several 
who  were  out  of  office  after  their  removal  still 
retained  the  honorary  title.  For,  after  the  Roman 
occupancy  of  Palestine,  the  governors,  whose 
avarice  exceeded  all  bounds,  made  of  the  appoint- 
ment to  the  office  of  high-priest  a  source  of  rev- 
enue, or  at  least,  in  their  political  wisdom,  they 
sought  to  degrade  the  high-priest  to  the  level  of  a 
tool  in  the  hands  of  pagan  statecraft.  Hence,  at 
times  for  political  reasons,  at  times  as  a  favor  to 
the  highest  bidder,  the  incumbents  of  this  office 

48 


THE  TREASON  OF  JUDAS  49 

were  often  changed.  The  old  custom  of  keeping 
the  high-priest  in  office  until  death  had  ceased. 
The  title  of  high-priest  was  also  applied  to  those 
who  were  descendants  of  the  first-born  of  Aaron 
and  to  the  chief -priests  of  the  different  subdivisions 
of  the  entire  numerous  priesthood.  Holy  Writ 
says  of  Caiphas  alone  that  he  was  the  high-priest 
of  that  year. 

The  soldiers  sent  by  the  high-priests  had  no  other 
intent  than  that  of  taking  Christ  captive.  But  the 
one  who  had  prepared  the  whole  matter  was  the 
Apostle  Judas,  surnamed  Iscariot.  The  treason  of 
this  unfortunate  man  will  be  the  subject  of  this 
consideration.^ 

Let  us  consider  the  betrayal 

I.     In  the  events  which  led  up  to  it, 
II.     In  its  final  execution  and 

III.     In  its  innermost  source. 


On  the  Wednesday  after  His  triumphal  entry 
into  Jerusalem,  the  Redeemer  for  the  last  time 
denounced  the  high-priests,  the  scribes  and  the 
Pharisees  in  the  temple  for  their  sins  and  abuses. 
He  referred  them  finally  to  the  day  of  judgment 
when,  from  the  severity  of  their  own  punishment, 
they  should  recognize  his  own  grandeur  and 
majesty.  With  this  forceful  warning  He  ended 
His  instruction,  and  filled  with  holy  wrath,   He 

iSt.  Matthew,  xxvi.,  46-50;    St.  Mark,  xiv.,  42-45;   St. 
Liike,  xxii.,  47,  48;  St.  John,  xviii.,  2,  3. 
4 


50  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

left  the  temple  toward  evening.  Provoked  and 
extremely  angered  by  His  denunciations,  the  high- 
priests,  scribes  and  elders  of  the  people  met  for 
the  second  time  on  the  following  day  to  take  coun- 
sel against  Him.  And  first,  they  approved  the 
resolution  taken  in  a  former  meeting  ^  to  remove 
the  Saviour  by  force.  As  to  the  time  of  executing 
their  plan  of  putting  Him  to  death,  they  agreed 
that  it  should  not  be  during  the  festivities  of  the 
Passover.  Such  a  course  would  be  too  hazardous, 
as  the  paschal  solemnity  brought  together  many 
Jews,  and  among  them  would  be  many  friends  of 
Christ.  These  might  organize  a  revolt,  the  people 
armed  might  liberate  their  victim  and  thus,  for  a 
long  time  to  come,  render  the  execution  of  their 
plan  impossible.  They  certainly  would  rather  slay 
Him  before  the  holidays,  but  they  knew  of  no 
scheme  by  which  they  might  seize  Him  in  secret 
and  by  stealth.  To  their  extreme  joy,  Judas 
helped  them  out  of  the  difficulty. 

Judas  had  for  a  long  time  been  an  apostle  in 
appearance  only.  He  had  become  heartily  tired 
of  apostolic  life  with  its  wanderings,  its  burdens, 
its  vexations  and  its  persecutions.  His  former 
love  for  Christ  had  grown  cokl.  In  its  stead, 
there  arose  indifference,  then  a  certain  irritability 
and  disgust.  The  Redeemer's  continual  praises  of 
poverty  had  become  unbearable  to  him.  Besides, 
his  longing  for  a  well  salaried  position  in  the  new 
kingdom  of  Christ  did  not  appear  to  be  approach- 

1  St.  John,  xi.,  47. 


THE  TREASON  OF  JUDAS  51 

ing  realization.  His  feelings  were  more  embittered 
by  the  words  which  the  Lord,  who  read  his  heart, 
addressed  to  all  the  apostles,  after  promising  the 
Holy  Eucharist:  "Have  I  not  chosen  you  twelve; 
and  one  of  you  is  a  devil. "  ^  He  saw  that  Christ 
read  and  knew  him.  But  instead  of  repenting  and 
being  converted,  he  was  offended.  The  public  re- 
buke, finally,  which  he  received  at  the  banquet 
when  Christ  took  the  part  of  Magdalene,  increased 
his  rancor  to  the  uttermost.  On  the  other  hand,  it 
did  not  escape  Judas  that  a  storm  was  brewing 
against  Christ,  and  he  began  to  fear  that  he,  as 
one  of  His  disciples,  would  also  have  to  bear  a  part 
of  the  brunt  of  impending  persecution.  He  there- 
fore resolved  to  save  himself  and,  by  the  same 
move  gain  both  friends  and  money.  He  was  aware 
of  the  council  meeting  of  the  high-priests  with 
whom,  for  some  time  back,  he  had  entertained  se- 
cret relations  and  who  strove  to  draw  him  over  to 
their  party  by  flattery  and  promises  of  money. 
Hence  Judas  hastened  to  offer  his  services  to  the 
members  of  the  Council  and  to  shoAV  them  how, 
without  much  disturbance,  they  might  capture  the 
person  of  the  Redeemer.  He  does  not  seem,  how- 
ever, to  have  been  without  fears  as  to  the  outcome 
of  his  undertaking,  for  he  takes  care  to  provide 
himself  with  an  armed  body  of  men,  for  greater 
security.  To  this  end  he  discusses  his  plans  with 
the  temple  guard,  which  was  composed  of  Levites 
(St.  Luke,  xxii.,  4.)     To  the  members  of  the  Coun- 

iSt.  John,  vi.,  71. 


52  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

cil  he  said,  ''What  will  yoii  give  me,  and  I  will 
deliver  Him  unto  you?"^  They  offered  thirty 
pieces  of  silver,  and  the  bargain  was  closed.  But, 
0  miserable  Judas,  is  the  Lord  your  property  that 
you  may  sell  Him  as  j^ou  would  an  animal  or  a 
piece  of  furniture?  And  if  you  think  Him  your 
property,  why  do  you  not  ask  as  His  price  at  least 
a  whole  kingdom  ?  Why  are  you  satisfied  with  the 
price  of  a  slave?  "The  ointment,"  says  St.  Am- 
brose,^ "with  which  Christ  was  anointed  for  His 
passion,  you  appreciated  at  three  hundred  pieces 
of  silver,  but  do  you  deem  the  Passion  itself  fully 
paid  for  with  thirty  pieces  ? "  "  However, ' '  answers 
the  same  saint,^  "Christ  desired  to  be  estimated  at 
such  a  low  price  that  He  might  be  bought  by  all 
and  that  not  even  the  poorest  might  be  deterred." 
Wliere  is  thy  self-respect,  0  Judas,  and  thy  pride 
that  thou  didst  not  immediately  turn  thy  back  in- 
dignantly upon  the  high-priests  who  offered  thee 
such  a  pittance  to  show  their  contempt  for  thee? 
But  it  is  a  peculiar  fact,  that  hell  always  offers  the 
least  and  that  the  servants  of  the  devil  are  satis- 
fied with  the  smallest  wage.  For  is  it  not  true 
that  many  a  Christian  sells  the  Lord  for  a  much 
smaller  sum,  for  a  momentary,  shameful  pleasure? 
Judas,  having  parted  with  the  high  priests  after 
many  expressions  of  gratitude,  in  order  to  ward 
off  suspicion,  again  mingled  with  the  apostles  and 
participated  in  the  prescribed  supper  which  took 

1  St.  IMatthew,  xxvi.,  15. 
2de  Spir.  S.  L  1.  c.  18. 
3  Exp.  Evang.  sec.  Liicam  1.  6,  c.  31. 


THE  TREASOX  OF  JUDAS  53 

place  on  Thursday  evening.  He  even  permitted 
the  Lord  to  wash  his  feet.  The  discovery  he  made 
on  this  occasion,  namely,  that  Christ  was  aware 
of  his  foul  plan,  drove  him  to  extremities,  and  he 
resolved  to  betray  the  Master  that  very  evening. 
Then,  shortly  before  the  institution  of  the  Most 
Holy  Sacrament,^  urged  on  by  infernal  powers, 
he  left  the  hall  never  again  to  return  to  the 
Saviour.  He  hurried  from  house  to  house  and 
made  known  his  object  to  the  high-priests. 
*'Now,''  said  he,  *'or  never!"  Afterwards  there 
would  hardly  present  itself  a  better  chance  for 
the  capture.  Above  all,  there  must  be  obtained 
a  detachment  of  soldiers  from  the  rightful  au- 
thorities in  order  to  give  the  whole  affair  the  ap- 
pearance of  legality  and  to  preclude  any  opposi- 
tion. That  task  was  assumed  by  the  high-priests. 
As  the  Easter  festivities  were  often  the  occasion 
of  bloody  riots,  Pilate  had,  in  former  years,  placed 
soldiers  at  their  disposition  especially  to  protect 
the  temple.  On  this  occasion  he  did  the  same 
and  allowed  them  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
men,  according  to  some  interpreters,  even  three 
hundred.  But  as  the  high-priests  had  no  confi- 
dence either  in  the  E-omans  or  in  Judas,  they  or- 
dered their  own  servants  to  accompany  the  sol- 
diers, and  by  mutual  consent  some  of  their  own 
number  went  along  as  leaders.  Magistrates  of  the 
temple,  also,  of  whom  there  were  many,  were  pres- 
ent.    The  temple  furnished  emplojTnent  to  many 

iNote  3. 


54  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

men  who  resided  in  adjoining  buildings.  Some  su- 
pervised the  constructions,  others  the  property, 
others  again  the  sacrifices  and  the  gift  offerings. 
All  these  men  were  now  hurriedly  armed  with 
swords  and  clubs.  The  full  moon  was  then  shin- 
ing, it  is  true.  However,  to  avoid  the  obstacles 
of  an  uneven  way  and  not  to  be  deceived  by  shad- 
ows, also  the  more  easily  to  find  the  Saviour  in 
case  He  should  hide  Himself  in  the  underbrush 
as  Adam  did,  they  took  with  them  torches  and 
closed  lanterns.  The  eternal  Light  had  hidden 
Itself  in  Its  humanity  to  such  an  extent  that  the 
powers  of  darkness  needed  lanterns  to  find  it. 
God  permitted  it  in  order  that  a  brighter  light 
might  be  thrown  upon  the  dishonor  of  Christ's 
enemies,  while  they  lay  prostrate  upon  the  ground. 

After  they  were  furnished  all  that  was  needed 
and  were  placed  in  ranks,  Judas  said  to  them, 
''Whomsoever  I  shall  kiss,  that  is  He."  A  sign 
was  necessary.  The  Roman  soldiers  had,  perhaps, 
never  seen  Christ  or  they  had  never  observed  Him 
very  closely.  Again,  in  the  pale  light  of  the  moon, 
one  is  easily  deceived  in  the  features  of  a  person. 
Lastly,  Judas  gives  them  this  advice:  *'Lead  Him 
away  carefully. ' '  In  itself  this  was  certainly  very 
good  advice.  We  may  apply  it  to  ourselves.  We 
ought  to  lead  the  Lord  carefully,  who  lives  in  us 
through  His  grace,  lest  He  be  taken  away  from 
us.  But  in  Judas  it  denoted  a  blindness  beyond 
all  conception. 

Now  this  rabble,  with  Judas  in  the  lead,  began 
its  march  between  eleven   and  twelve  o'clock  at 


THE  TRBASOX  OF  JUDAS  55 

night  and  wended  its  way  by  the  nearest  route 
towards  the  garden  of  Olives.  Since  the  creation 
of  the  world  snch  an  array,  snch  an  infernal  band, 
had  never  been  seen.  Even  pagan  conquerors 
would  never  have  thought  of  apprehending  a  Son 
of  God  and  of  chaining  Him  to  their  triumphal 
chariots.  The  enacting  of  such  scenes  was  reserved 
to  Christian  powers.  Thus  it  was  only  recently 
that  an  outrageous  band  of  robbers,  led  secretly 
by  a  Judas  of  their  own,  approached  the  Holy 
City  to  enchain  the  Yicar  of  Christ  and  to  im- 
prison him  in  his  own  house.  And  the  end  of 
the  last  and  the  beginning  of  this  century  beheld 
two  pontiffs  in  bondage. 

The  God-man  and  His  betrayer  were  now  in 
each  other's  presence,  for  Jesus  had  gone  to  meet 
Judas.  A  good  conscience  gives  courage.  It 
makes  one  resolute.  The  sinner  slinks  and  hides 
himself.  A  resolute  attack  of  difficulties  and 
temptations  breaks  their  force  and  conquers  them. 
It  endows  man  with  heroism.  Then  followed  the 
betrayal.     Let  us  consider  its  execution. 

II. 

It  is  probable  that  satanic  malice  and  divine 
goodness  never  approached  each  other  so  closeh^  as 
here.  Heaven  and  hell  struggle  for  the  mastery. 
We  have  now  an  opportunity  of  beholding  what 
an  abyss  of  wickedness  may  be  found  in  a  himian 
and  what  an  abyss  of  love  in  a  Di^^ne  heart. 

When  Judas  saw  the  Saviour,  he  advanced  from 
before  the  soldieiy,  as  if  he  did  not  belong  to 


56  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

the  mob,  and  quickly  went  towards  Christ.  To 
approach  Christ  and  do  it  quickly,  is  certainly  the 
best  thing  to  be  done.  Still  the  promptness  of 
'Judas  had  something  strange  and  suspicious  about 
it.  It  seems  to  me  that  he  received  from  the 
Saviour  before  him  another  great  grace.  The 
apostle  perceived  the  fearful  depth  of  perdition 
to  which  he  was  hastening,  he  was  amazed  at  the 
atrocity  of  his  purpose,  he  shrank  for  a  moment 
from  the  execution  of  his  plan.  But  in  order  not 
to  have  time  for  reflection,  to  remove  the  possi- 
bility of  a  change  of  mind,  to  quickly  stifle  all 
rising  qualms  of  conscience,  he  approaches  Christ 
quickly,  determined  to  execute  his  foul  deed.  Be- 
hold here  the  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  a  com- 
plete hardness  of  heart,  the  usual  result  of  blind- 
ness. Now  Judas  no  longer  shrinks  from  the  most 
abject  meanness,  from  the  greatest  outrage.  Like 
to  Joab,  of  murderous  intent,  saluting  as  brother 
Amasa,  the  faithful  servant  of  his  King,  he  says 
to  Jesus,  "Hail,  Rabbi"  and  he  kisses  Him.  To 
salute  one  means  to  wish  him  all  that  is  good.  But 
this  salute  was  the  cunning  of  the  wolf  approach- 
ing in  sheep's  clothing,  the  cunning  of  the  serpent 
hiding  in  the  grass,  the  cunning  of  the  assassin 
carrying  the  dagger  in  his .  bosom.  Honey  is  on 
his  lips  and  gall  and  wormwood  in  his  heart;  a 
friendly  smile  is  on  his  face  and  dark  hatred  in 
his  soul.  He  inhales  health  and  life,  he  emits 
death  and  perdition,  and  he  does  it  under  the  mask 
of  a  devoted  disciple.  *'Hail,  Rabbi."  0  Judas, 
thy  Master  never  taught   thee   that!    Then   this 


THE  TREASON  OF  JUDAS  57 

devil  incarnate  embraced  the  Lord  in  treacherous 
arms  and  kissed  Him.  The  sign  of  peace  was  the 
declaration  of  war,  the  sign  of  friendship  Avas  the 
signal  of  attack,  the  sign  of  love  was  the  signal 
of  rout  and  murder.  Such  is  also  the  cunning 
hypocrisy  of  an  impious  world.  "0  world,"  ex- 
claims St.  Augustine,  "You  traitor!  You  promise 
all  that  is  good  and  you  bring  only  what  is  bad; 
you  promise  pleasure  and  you  offer  sorrow;  you 
promise  rest  and  you  prepare  ruin;  you  promise 
to  remain  and  you  quickly  disappear;  you  prom- 
ise life  and  you  give  death." 

Who  would  think  ill  of  us,  if,  in  a  similar  case, 
in  just  indignation  and  with  a  cry  of  horror,  we 
should  thrust  far  from  us  the  traitor  approaching 
to  embrace  and  kiss  us;  if,  in  the  strongest  pos- 
sible terms,  we  should  upbraid  him  for  his  faith- 
lessness and  depravity?  But  our  Divine  Saviour 
not  only  permitted  the  kiss.  He  also  returned  it. 
The  divine,  the  most  holy  mouth  touched  that  ab- 
ject mouth  at  which  even  hell  was  disgusted. 
What  an  incomprehensible  mystery !  What  an  in- 
comprehensible condescension  and  humiliation!  0 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  how  couldst  Thou  allow  this  ? 
When  Magdalene  kissed  Thy  feet,  the  pharisee  was 
scandalized  and  said  to  himself,  "This  man,  if  he 
were  a  prophet,  would  know  surely  who  and  what 
manner  of  woman  this  is  that  toucheth  him. '  *  ^ 
Dost  Thou  not  force  the  high-priests  and  pharisees 
who  see  Judas  with  his  lips  to  Thine,  to  judge: 

iSt.  Luke,  vii.,  39. 


58  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

''This  man,  if  he  were  a  prophet,  would  know 
surely  who  and  what  manner  of  man  this  is  that 
toucheth  him:  that  he  is  a  traitor"?  Must  not 
even  Thy  disciples  lose  confidence  in  Thee?  May 
not  they  reproach  Thee  as  Joab  reproached  David 
when  he  deplored  the  death  of  his  treacherous  son 
Absalom,  ''Thou  lovest  them  that  hate  thee  and 
thou  hatest  them  that  love  thee  ? "  ^  For  Peter 
Thou  preparest  a  cross,  for  John  seething  oil,  for 
James  a  sword,  but  to  Judas  Thou  givest  the  kiss 
of  Thy  mouth!  Or  dost  Thou  imagine  Thou  hast 
Peter  in  Thy  arms,  who  desires  to  go  to  death  with 
Thee?  Or  Andrew,  who  left  aU  for  Thee?  Or 
the  disciple  who  lay  upon  Thy  breast  and  who 
now,  filled  with  love,  would  approach  Thy  mouth? 
* '  Judas, ' '  answers  the  Lord,  *  *  dost  thou  betray  the 
Son  of  Man  with  a  kiss?" 

Every  one  of  those  words  was  a  wound  infliicted 
to  free  the  soul  from  the  thralls  of  passion.  May 
every  sinner  take  them  to  heart.  Judas,  says  the 
Saviour,  thou,  my  apostle;  Judas,  whom  I  have 
overwhelmed  with  benefits;  Judas,  to  whom  I  have 
given  the  gift  of  miracles,  and  who,  in  my  name, 
hast  cured  diseases;  Judas,  who  wast  a  terror  to 
demons!  Indeed,  if  my  enemy  had  reviled  me,  I 
would  verily  have  borne  with  it.^  But  thou  my 
friend,  my  apostle!  Judas,  thou  hetrayest  me! 
It  is  not  sufficient  for  thee  that  thou  repayest  not 
my  love  with  thine,  no,  thou  breakest  the  oath  of 

III.  Kings,  xix.,  6, 
2  Psalms,  liv.,  13. 


THE  TREASON  OF  JLDA8  59 

allegiance  which  thou  hast  sworn  me;  thou  art 
one  with  my  worst  enemies,  thou  hast  bargained 
me  off  to  them  for  a  mere  pittance !  With  a  kiss 
thou  betrayest  me!  The  privilege  thou  hast  of 
approaching  me  in  familiar  intercourse,  thou  dost 
abuse  in  order  to  deliver  me  to  mine  enemies.  If 
thou  be  my  friend,  why  these  swords?  And  if 
thou  be  my  enemy,  why  these  kisses?  Thou  be- 
trayest the  Son  of  Man,  the  Son  of  God,  who  now 
shall  die  for  thee,  but  Whose  sign  shall  appear  in 
the  clouds  on  the  day  of  judgment. 

And  then,  in  order  to  spread  balm  upon  the 
wounds  inflicted  by  His  words  and  to  revive  the 
courage  and  confidence  of  the  disciple,  with  touch- 
ing gentleness  and  divine  love  Jesus  finally  calls 
him  friend.  ^'Friend,  whereto  art  thou  come?'* 
Reflect,  Judas,  and  desist  from  thy  impious  un- 
dertaking. Behold  the  arms  of  thy  Saviour  ex- 
tended to  receive  thee;  His  hands  are  ready  to 
lead  thee  back  to  the  right  path;  His  heart  is 
open  to  pour  upon  thee  all  the  treasures  of  mercy. 
Tell  thy  Saviour  that  thou  wilt  be  His  friend, 
that  thou  art  His  friend,  and  thou  shalt  be  His 
friend.  Do  not  think  it  difficult,  deem  it  not  im- 
possible. It  is  difficult  to  be  a  friend  of  the  world. 
It  means  night-watches  and  troubles,  it  means  fear 
and  worry,  it  costs  sacrifices  of  money,  of  honor, 
of  health,  it  costs  one's  immortal  soul.  But  if  thou 
wilt  be  a  friend  of  Christ,  show  a  single  tear  of 
compunction  in  thine  eye,  a  real  sigh  of  thy  heart 
shall  suffice;  an  humble  pulsation  in  thy  breast, 


60  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

a  word  from  thy  mouth  shall  be  enough.  Say  with 
David,  * '  I  have  sinned, ' '  ^  and  at  the  same  mo- 
ment thou  shalt  be  told,  *'Thy  sins  are  forgiven 
thee.  "2 

But  Judas  was  more  hardened  than  a  rock,  and 
he  would  not  be  converted.  On  the  contrary,  the 
loving  words  of  the  Saviour,  which,  according  to 
St.  Chrysostom,^  would  have  pacified  the  tiger  and 
the  leopard,  caused  the  traitor  to  cast  aside  his 
mask  and  to  openly  break  with  Christ.  After 
having  given  the  sign,  he  did  not  mingle  with 
the  apostles,  as  he  had  intended  doing,  in  order 
to  avert  suspicion.  Consumed  by  internal  anger 
because  Christ  knew  his  heart  and  reproved  him, 
he  openly,  before  the  eyes  of  his  master,  goes  over 
to  His  sworn  enemies.  Where  can  a  man  be  found 
who  ever  fell  from  such  a  height  as  did  unfortu- 
nate Judas? 

Let  us  then  consider  the  innermost  cause,  the 
source  of  the  sad  fall. 

III. 

"What  started  Judas  on  the  way  to  ruin  and 
finally  made  him  a  traitor  was  one  single,  inordi- 
nate passion  not  subdued.  It  was  avarice.  When 
he  was  received  into  the  college  of  apostles,  he 
was  certainly  no  bad  man ;  he  must  have  had  many 
good  and  praiseworthy  qualities.  Especially  must 
he  have  been  irreproachable  in  regard  to  the  purity 

1 II.  Kings,  xii.,  13. 

2  St.  Luke,  vii.,  48. 

3  Horn.  22  in  ep.  ad  Rom.  1,  12. 


THE  TREASON  OF  JUDAS  61 

of  his  morals.  For  that  reason  the  Lord  trusted 
him  to  the  extent  of  making  him  the  treasurer  whose 
duty  it  would  be  to  take  care  of  the  alms  received 
by  Him  and  to  defray  therefrom  the  living  ex- 
penses both  of  the  Lord  and  of  the  apostles.  With 
all  his  good  qualities,  Judas  had  in  his  heart  one 
evil  inclination  to  curb  which,  however,  he  had 
the  best  possible  guidance  and  help  in  his  asso- 
ciation with  Christ.  This  was  the  inordinate  love 
of  money.  In  the  beginning  it  was  unimportant 
and  of  small  consequence;  he  scarcely  took  notice 
of  it;  it  was  not  a  matter  of  grievous  sin.  But 
because  he  did  not  pay  sufficient  attention  to  it,  it 
gradually  developed  in  his  heart  until  it  finally 
spread  into  quite  a  poisonous  growth.  He  began 
to  love  money  more  and  more,  to  rejoice  in  its  pos- 
session, to  measure  everything  by  its  standard.  At 
first  he  kept  for  himself  some  of  the  money  con- 
fided to  him  and  the  surplus  of  which  was  des- 
tined for  the  poor.  It  appeared  to  him  that  his 
services  ought  to  have  some  little  recompense. 
Like  our  modern  church  despoilers,  he  judged  it 
better  to  put  money  in  circulation  and  employ  it 
in  other  useful  ways,  than  to  allow  it  to  remain, 
as  dead  capital,  in  the  church  treasury;  besides, 
Christ  would  not  need  it;  He  knew  how  to  help 
Himself  in  need,  and  He  certainly  would  not  let 
the  apostles  starve.  Soon  Judas  began  to  steal 
without  the  least  scruple,  and  finally  the  words  of 
Paul,  the  apostle,  were  fulfilled  in  his  case:  *'They 
that  will  become  rich,  fall  into  temptation  and 
into  the  snare  of  the  devil,  and  into  many  un- 


62  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

profitable  and  hurtful  desires,  which  drown  men 
into  destruction  and  perdition.  For  the  desire 
of  money  is  the  root  of  all  evils ;  which  some  covet- 
ing have  erred  from  the  faith. ' '  ^  For  the  repeated 
thefts,  which  in  the  beginning  were  possibly  small 
and  venial  sins  only,  made  this  apostle  indifferent 
to  sin  in  general  and  brought  him  to  the  condition 
of  luke-warmness.  At  the  same  time,  the  growing 
love  of  money  stifled  in  him  the  love  for  Christ 
and  for  his  apostolic  vocation.  He  fell  into  mortal 
sins,  became  filled  with  aversion  to  Christ  and  even 
lost  faith  in  His  Divinity.  His  formal  apostasy 
was  only  a  matter  of  time.  Then  happened  the 
incident  in  connection  with  Mary  Magdalene,  who 
was  so  lavish  in  her  use  of  costly  ointments.  It 
vexed  Judas  that  such  a  chance  for  a  splendid 
stroke  of  business  should  slip  by  him,  and  the 
reprimand  he  received  vexed  him  still  more.  As 
indemnity,  he  resolved  to  sell  the  Son  of  God  him- 
self. 

From  this  dreadful  event  let  us  draw  some  con- 
clusions for  our  own  instruction.  It  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  combat  all  passions,  to  pamper  none, 
least  of  all  the  dominant  passion  which  has  the 
deepest  roots  in  the  heart.  Let  no  one  say:  I  am 
not  a  drunkard,  I  am  not  impure,  I  harbor  no 
enmities.  A  single  passion  which  you  do  not  re- 
sist is  capable  of  bringing  on  your  ruin.  And 
these  passions  must  be  combated  earZy.  When  the 
fire  is  still  small,  a  little  water  suffices  to  extin- 

II.  Tim.,  vi.,  9,  10. 


THE  TREASON  OF  JUDAS  63 

guish  it.  But  when  the  flames  appear  all  over 
the  roof,  all  the  engines  in  town  may  not  be 
enough.  These  passions  must  be  resisted  by  every 
one,  even  if  one  be  an  apostle  or  a  saint.  Avarice 
led  Judas  to  his  ruin.  With  how  much  more  rea- 
son must  one  begin  early  to  combat  the  far  more 
dangerous  passion  of  impure  lust  which  in  a  very 
short  time  easily  develops  into  an  all-consuming 
fire. 

Furthermore,  we  should  take  heed  not  to  trifle 
with  venial  sins,  not  to  commit  hundreds  and  thou- 
sands of  them  with  a  smiling  countenance  as  if 
they  were  not  offensive  to  God.  We  should  guard 
against  fatal  luke-warmness.  Peter,  who  otherwise 
was  zealous,  in  an  unfortunate  moment,  fell  woe- 
fully. But  touched  by  the  grace  of  Christ,  he  was 
converted  immediately.  Not  so  Judas.  Although 
the  Saviour  had  ovenv^helmed  him  with  love,  still, 
on  account  of  his  numerous  infidelities  and  his 
disregard  of  venial  sins,  he  gradually  drifted  into 
the  state  of  mortal  guilt. 

But  from  the  Divine  Redeemer  we  may  learn 
generously  to  pardon  our  enemies,  unceasingly  to 
follow  the  lost  sheep,  to  hope  against  hope.  Let 
us  furthermore  have  the  firmest  confidence  in  the 
love  and  mercy  of  Christ.  And  indeed,  what  sin- 
ner ought  to  despair?  Return  to  Christ  in  sor- 
row, and  the  Saviour  in  whose  embrace  we  now 
behold  the  traitor,  will  hail  thee  as  His  friend 
and  give  thee  the  kiss  of  peace. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  SEIZURE  OF  THE  SAVIOUR 

"Then  the  band,  and  the  tribune, 
and  the  servants  of  the  Jews  took 
Jesus,  and  bound   him." 

(St.  John,  xviii.,  12.) 

The  betrayal  of  Judas  was  followed  by  the  tak- 
ing of  the  Saviour.  The  Holy  Scriptures  describe 
the  event  in  the  following  terms:  *' Jesus,  knowing 
all  things  that  should  come  upon  him,  v/ent  forth 
and  saith  to  them :  I  am  he.  And  Judas  also,  who 
betrayed  Him,  stood  with  them.  As  soon  there- 
fore as  he  had  said  to  them:  I  am  he,  they  went 
backward  and  fell  to  the  ground.  Again  therefore 
he  asked  them:  Whom  seek  ye?  And  they  said: 
Jesus  of  Nazareth.  Jesus  answered:  I  have  told 
you,  that  I  am  he.  If  therefore  you  seek  me,  let 
these  go  their  way.  That  the  word  might  be  ful- 
filled which  he  said :  Of  them  whom  thou  hast  given 
me,  I  have  not  lost  any  one.  And  they  that  were 
about  him,  seeing  what  would  follow,  said  to  him, 
Lord,  shall  we  strike  with  the  sword?  And  one 
of  them  that  stood  by,  Simon  Peter,  drawing  a 
sword,  struck  a  servant  of  the  high-priest  and  cut 
off  his  right  ear.  And  the  name  of  the  servant 
was  Malchus.    But  Jesus  answering  said:  Suffer 

64 


THE  SEIZURE  OF  THE  SAVIOUR  65 

ye  thus  far.  And  when  he  had  touched  his  ear, 
he  healed  Malehus.  Then  Jesus  said  to  Peter: 
Put  up  again  thy  sword  into  its  place,  into  the 
scabbard.  For  all  that  take  the  sword  shall  per- 
ish with  the  sword.  The  chalice  which  my  Father 
hath  given  me,  shall  I  not  drink  it?  Thinkest 
thou  that  I  cannot  ask  my  Father,  and  he  will 
give  me  presently  more  than  twelve  legions  of 
angels?  How  then  shall  the  Scriptures  be  fulfilled 
that  so  it  must  be  done  ?  In  that  same  hour  Jesus 
said  to  the  chief-priests,  and  magistrates  of  the 
temple,  and  the  ancients  that  were  come  unto  him : 
Are  ye  come  out  as  it  were  against  a  thief,  with 
swords  and  clubs  ?  When  I  was  daily  with  you 
in  the  temple,  you  did  not  stretch  forth  your  hands 
against  me.  But  this  is  your  hour  and  the  power 
of  darkness.  Now  all  this  was  done,  that  the 
Scriptures  of  the  prophets  might  be  fulfilled.  Then 
the  band  and  the  tribune  and  the  servants  of  the 
Jews  took  Jesus  and  bound  him.  Then  the  dis- 
ciples all  leaving  him  fled."^  Such  is  the  de- 
scription given  by  the  evangelists  of  the  seizure 
of  the  Redeemer. 

Let  us  consider  the  miracles  that  Christ  then 
worked,  namely, 

I.     Miracles  proving  His  Divine  Power  and 

II.     Miracles  proving  His  Divine  Love. 

iSt.  Matthew,  xxvi.,  50-56;    St.  Mark,  xiv.,  46-50;    St. 
Luke,  xxii.,  49-54;  St.  John,  xviii.,  4-12. 


66  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 


I. 


To  prove  His  Divine  Power,  Christ  performed 
two  miracles.  The  first  consisted  in  bringing  His 
enemies  to  a  halt  and  the  second,  in  causing  them 
to  fall  to  the  ground. 

The  kiss  of  Judas  and  with  it  the  sign  for 
the  attack  had  been  given.  But  why  do  they 
not  advance  ?  Why  do  they  hesitate  ?  What  keeps 
back  these  villains  thirsting  for  the  blood  of  the 
God-Man?  They  need  certainly  not  fear  greater 
numbers.  On  the  one  side  stand  Christ  and  the 
apostles  with  two  swords,  on  the  other  a  numerous 
band  fully  armed  with  swords  and  clubs  and 
lances.  Still,  there  they  stand,  as  if  rooted  to  the 
ground,  and  they  cannot  advance  one  step.  Was 
there  perhaps  some  doubt  as  to  the  person  to  be 
taken,  notwithstanding  the  kiss  of  Judas,  the  light 
of  the  full  moon  and  the  lights  they  had  with 
them?  There  truly  was  such  a  doubt.  The  ene- 
mies of  Christ,  and  Judas  too,  were  so  stricken 
with  blindness  that  they  did  not  recognize  Him, 
although  He  stood  before  them.  Had  they  recog- 
nized Him,  then  surely  when  He  asked  them  the 
second  time,  ''Whom  seek  ye?"  they  would  not 
have  answered,  "Jesus  of  Nazareth,"  but  "We 
seek  thee. ' '  It  would  then  have  been  an  easy  mat- 
ter, had  Jesus  so  willed,  to  escape  His  enemies, 
notwithstanding  the  cunningly  laid  plan  and  the 
treachery  of  Judas.  But  Christ  goes  towards  them 
and  asks,  "Whom  seek  ye?"  And  they  answer, 
"Jesus  of  Nazareth."    He  responds,  "I  am  he." 


THE  SEIZURE  OF  THE  SA\  lOLK  67 

At  these  words,  as  if  struck  by  liglituing  or  over- 
turned by  a  whirlwind,  they  fall  back  to  the 
ground,  Judas  with  them.  ' '  The  voice  of  the  Lord 
breaketh  the  Cedars. ' '  ^  Poor  Judas !  If  you 
know  of  no  way  out  of  the  difficulty  now,  your 
pieces  of  silver  are  gone.  The  enemies  of  Christ 
fell  backwards  to  the  ground,  not  like  penitent 
sinners  upon  their  faces;  and  he  who  falls  back- 
wards is  apt  to  damage  his  head. 

Finally,  Christ  restored  to  them  their  powers. 
Filled  with  shame,  struck  with  amazement,  but 
burning  with  anger,  they  arose.  For  the  second 
time  the  Saviour  asked  them,  "Whom  seek  ye?" 
Again  they  answer,  ** Jesus  cf  Nazareth."  They, 
therefore,  did  not  yet  recognize  Him.  That  they 
might  understand  that  it  was  He  who  threw  them 
to  the  ground,  Christ  now  said  to  them :  * '  I  have 
told  you  that  I  am  he."  And,  as  the  proof  was 
now  furnished  that  He  began  His  Passion  of  His 
own  free  will,  He  permitted  them  to  seize  Him, 
by  saying,  ''If  therefore  you  seek  me,  let  these  go 
their  way."  The  evident  demonstration,  then,  of 
His  Divine  Power,  did  not  bring  these  hardened 
culprits  to  their  senses.  They  are  hardly  on  their 
feet  before  they  continue  their  impious  work,  ad- 
vance toward  Christ  and  seize  Him. 

When,  in  later  centuries,  tyrants  saw  hungry 
lions  and  tigers  in  the  arena  crouch  at  the  feet 
of  innocent  lambs  as  were  the  holy  martyrs,  when 
they  witnessed  how  these  sufferers  came  forth,  un- 

1  Psalms,  xxviii.,  5. 


68  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

harmed,  from  burning  furnaces  and  how  missiles 
glanced  from  their  persons,  and  nevertheless  kept 
on  inventing  new  pains  and  tortures,  was  not  this 
scene  similar  to  the  one  described  above?  When 
entire  parishes  and  whole  countries  are  on  account 
of  their  sins,  as  it  were,  stricken  to  the  ground  by 
Almighty  God,  by  wars,  earthquakes  or  disease, 
and  when,  as  soon  as  the  visitation  is  over,  they 
return  to  their  former  dissipated  and  shameless 
ways,  is  this  not  the  enactment  of  the  very  same 
scene?  When,  lastly,  God  chastises  the  sinner  and 
he  heeds  it  not,  when  He  crushes  him  and  he  re- 
fuses the  punishment,  do  we  not  behold  a  scene 
from  the  Garden  of  Olives? 

"Whom  seek  ye?"  asked  Christ.  ''Jesus  of 
Nazareth."  ''I  am  he."  And  they  fell  to  the 
ground.  What  will  He  do  as  Judge,  who,  as  the 
accused,  in  a  state  of  greatest  weakness  and  im- 
potence, displays  such  power?  How  the  high- 
priests  and  scribes  will  be  confounded,  when  on 
the  day  of  judgment  from  His  seat  in  the  clouds, 
Christ  shall  cry  out  to  them,  "I  am  he!"  How 
all  deniers  of  the  Divinity  of  Christ  shall  then 
wither  away  from  fear  and  terror!  What  will 
then  be  the  sentiments  of  skeptics,  of  all  sinners, 
especially  those  who  have  unceasingly  plotted  evil 
against  Christ  and  His  holy  Church.  Let  us  con- 
sole ourselves  in  present  tribulations.  One.  word 
of  the  Lord,  one  breath  of  His  mouth  is  sufficient 
to  cast  the  enemies  of  the  Church  powerless  into 
the  dust. 

May  it  be  our  privilege,  when  on  the  last  day 


THE  SEIZURE  OF  THE  SAVIOUR  69 

Christ  shall  say  these  words  to  us,  to  greet  Him 
with  joy  and  exultation  and  to  look  up  to  Him 
with  confidence.  But  we  can  entertain  this  hope 
only  if  now,  truthfully  and  with  our  whole  heart, 
we  can  answer  His  question,  "Whom  seek  ye?" 
by  saying,  "Jesus  of  Nazareth,  none  other  but 
Christ  Crucified." 

Let  us  now  pass  on  to  the  miracles  wrought  by 
Christ  in  the  Garden  of  Olives  to  demonstrate  His 
Divine   Love. 

II. 

Christ  wrought  two  miracles  for  the  following 
purpose:  He  wished  to  convince  His  friends  of 
the  greatness  of  His  love  by  the  first  miracle,  and 
His  enemies,  by  the  second. 

Above  all  things  the  Saviour  had  at  heart  the 
welfare  of  His  disciples,  for  whose  steadfastness 
in  the  faith  He  had  reason  to  fear,  if  they  also, 
according  to  the  undoubted  intent  of  Christ's 
enemies,  should  be  taken  captives.  *'If  ye  seek 
me,"  He  therefore  said,  "let  these  go  their  way." 
By  these  words  He  commanded  and  effected  the 
freedom  of  His  disciples.  After  that,  they  dared 
not  even  touch  Peter  who,  by  wounding  :\Ialchus, 
had  excited  to  the  highest  degree  the  ire  of  the 
high-priests  and  their  associates.  Their  hands 
were  tied.  Thus  were  fulfilled  the  words  of 
Christ:  "Of  them  whom  thou  hast  given  me,  I 
have  not  lost  any  one."^  It  is  true  Peter  soon 
afterwards  committed  a  grievous  sin,  but  it  was 

iSt.  John,  xviii.,  9. 


70  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION" 

owing  to  his  own  fault  and  not  to  his  being  taken 
captive.  "Let  these  go  their  way,"  we  ought 
also  to  say  in  trials  and  difficulties  and  not  con- 
tinually take  the  burden  off  our  own  shoulders 
to  lay  it  on  the  shoulders  of  others. 

A  second  miracle  was  wrought  by  Christ  to 
convince  His  enemies  of  His  Love  and  to  invite 
them  to  conversion.  After  the  last  words  of 
Christ  they  laid  hands  on  Him.  One  of  them, 
Malchus,  the  servant  of  Caiphas  the  high-priest, 
made  himself  conspicuous  by  pulling  and  tugging 
at  the  person  of  Christ.  He  desired  the  honor  of 
binding  Him.  It  would  recommend  him  to  his 
master.  But  this  was  more  than  the  disciples 
would  tolerate.  They  all  cried  out  together, 
"Lord,  shall  we  strike  out  with  the  sword?" 
Without  awaiting  the  answer  of  Christ,  Peter  drew 
his  sword  and  wielded  it  with  a  strong  arm.  His 
aim  missed.  He  did  not  intend  to  cut  off  an  ear, 
otherwise,  as  he  used  his  right  arm  and  stood  op- 
posite to  Malchus,  he  would  have  struck  his  left 
ear.  He  meant  to  cleave  the  head  of  the  irreverent 
scoundrel.  But  his  head  being  covered  with  a 
helmet  the  sword  glanced  off  and  took  with  it  the 
right  ear.  Peter  then  raised  his  sword  the  second 
time,  and  the  other  disciple  with  a  sword  prepared 
to  use  it.  Then  Christ  said,  "Suffer  ye  thus  far," 
and,  touching  the  ear  of  Malchus,  He  healed  him. 
Thus  did  Christ  take  revenge  on  His  enemies. 
Then  turning  to  Peter,  He  ordered  him  to  put  up 
his  sword  into  its  place,  into  the  scabbard,  and  He 
rebuked  him.    Whoever  uses  the  sword,  without 


THE  SEIZURE  OF  THE  SAVIOUPx  71 

legal  warrant,  of  course,  merits  that  his  own  blood 
be  shed.     He  addresses  Peter  in  holy  indignation, 
because  he   would  hinder   Him   in   fulfilling   the 
Scripture  and  in  drinking  the  chalice  offered  Him 
by   His  heavenly   Father.     Peter's   help,   besides, 
would  be  entirely  superfluous,   as  twelve  legions 
and  more  of  angels  would,  if  He  so  wished,  at  any 
moment  be  at  His  disposition.     However,   Peter, 
on  that  occasion,  committed  no  grievous  sin.     He 
had    misunderstood    a    former    command    of    the 
Saviour  to  buy  swords,^  that  is,  to  prepare  for 
combat  with  the  weapons  of  the  spirit,  and  what 
he  did  he  considered  done  in  justifiable  self-de- 
fense.    Moreover,  his  ardent  love  for  Christ  and 
his  anxiety  lest  harm  befall  Him  rendered  him 
incapable  of  calm  deliberation.     If  such  were  not 
the  case,  how  could  he  have  been  imprudent  enough 
to  attempt  to  resist  a  hostile  force  so  vastly  su- 
perior ? 

We  should  learn  from  Christ  what  Christian 
revenge  truly  is,  namely,  the  rendering  of  good 
for  evil.  But  from  Peter  we  may  also  learn  some- 
thing, even  if  it  be  not  how  to  wield  a  sword. 
Were  it  aUowable  to  cut  off  the  right  ear  of  all 
who  sin  against  Christ,  very  many  people  would 
be  in  a  condition  to  show  only  the  left  one.  Blind, 
excessive  zeal  can  do  but  harm.  But  to  have  no 
zeal  or  very  little  zeal  for  the  honor  of  Christ 
and  of  His  Church  and  for  the  preservation  intact 
of  faith  and  morals  is  another  fault.     In  this  re- 

iSt.  Luke,  xxii.,  36. 


72  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

gard  the  civil  authority,  in  whose  hands  God  has 
placed  the  sword,  ought  to  have  more  of  the  dis- 
position of  Peter.  Then  religion  and  faith  would 
not  be  ridiculed  and  insulted  as  they  are,  and 
Christian  morality  would  not  be  trampled  under 
foot  to  such  an  extent.  Then  innumerable  houses 
of  ill  repute  would  not  exist,  many  public  scandals 
would  cease,  bad  theatres  would  be  closed,  shame- 
less pictures  would  disappear  from  store-fronts  and 
billboards,  and  the  many  poisonous  productions 
of  an  impious  and  immoral  press  would  no  more 
be  spread  among  the  people.  How  persons  in  such 
responsible  positions,  who  do  nothing  for  religion 
and  morality  but  who  allow  all  sorts  of  wicked- 
ness, committed  under  their  very  eyes,  to  go  un- 
punished, how  such  persons,  I  say,  can  render  an 
account  of  their  stewardship  on  the  last  day  is 
something  very  difficult  to  imagine.  Many  par- 
ents, too,  and  masters  ought  to  have  more  of  Peter 's 
disposition.  Then  family  life  would  be  more  or- 
derly and  Christian,  and  many  innocent  souls 
would  be  saved.  In  fact,  Peter's  nature  would  be 
of  advantage  to  us  all;  then,  in  the  fight  against 
evil,  we  would  not  in  a  cowardly  manner  throw 
down  our  weapons  and  surrender  at  the  first  at- 
tack of  temptation. 

Finally  the  moment  arrived  when  Christ,  to  con- 
vince us  also  of  His  Love  and  to  free  us  from  the 
fetters  of  sin  and  hell,  was  to  allow  Himself  to 
be  bound.  But  first  He  makes  one  more  effort 
to  deter  the  high-priests  and  the  ancients  of  the 
people   from   their  nefarious  project  by  holding 


THE  SEIZURE  OF  THE  SAVIOUR  73 

up  to  them,  on  the  one  hand,  the  unworthiness  of 
their  act  in  treating  as  a  murderer  One  Who  had 
often  spoken  to  them  in  the  temple  and  Who  had 
shown  Himself  a  benefactor  of  the  people,  and  by 
assuring  them,  on  the  other  hand,  that  with  all 
their  swords  and  clubs  they  could  not  seize  Him, 
if  it  were  not  their  hour  and  the  power  of  dark- 
ness. For  the  third  time  He  finally  reminds  them 
of  the  Holy  Scriptures  to  make  them  understand 
that  they  were  instruments  in  the  hands  of  God 
to  fulfill  the  sayings  of  the  prophets.  *'We  owe 
you  no  thanks,  0  Jews,"  says  St.  Leo,^  ''nor  thee, 
Judas.  No  doubt  your  impiety  has  served  to  our 
salvation;  no  doubt  through  you  was  done  what 
lay  in  the  counsels  of  God,  but  it  was  against  your 
will.  The  death  of  Christ  liberates  us,  it  accuses 
you.  You  alone,  by  right,  lack  that  which,  ac- 
cording to  your  wishes,  should  be  lost-  to  all." 

Now  they  began  their  work.  Like  wolves,  the 
enemies  of  Christ  fell  upon  the  Lamb  of  God,  as 
robbers  upon  their  prey.  The  band  and  the 
tribune  and  the  servants  of  the  Jews  took  Jesus 
and  bound  Him.  It  was  done  with  an  ardor 
worthy  of  a  better  cause.  And  they  must  have 
fastened  the  ropes  tightly  and  secured  them  by 
many  knots,  for  Judas  had  told  them :  ' '  Lead  Him 
away  carefully."  Certainly  the  bands  in  which 
His  Blessed  Mother  had  wrapped  Him  when  He 
still  lay  in  the  crib  were  sweeter  and  more  pleas- 
ant.    But  He  rejoiced  in  these  bonds,  otherwise 

1  Serm.  1  de  Pass,  c.  5. 


74  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

He  would  have  torn  them  asunder  more  easily 
than  Samson  could  have  done.  He  loved  to  be 
a  captive.  For  that  reason  He  had  taken  proper 
measures,  on  the  eve  of  His  Passion,  for  dwelling 
among  us  as  our  captive  unto  the  end  of  days  in 
the  Sacrament  of  the  Altar. 

Happy,  thrice  happy,  those  who  even  in  our 
days  have  been  found  worthy  to  carry  the  shackles 
of  Christ.  St.  Paul  had  many  glorious  titles  of 
which  he  might  boast.  He  was  an  apostle,  the 
teacher  of  the  world,  the  teacher  of  nations.  Still, 
he  finds  all  his  glory  in  chains  and  ropes  and 
bonds.  "I,  Paul,"  he  says,  ''the  prisoner  of 
Jesus  Christ."  As  for  us,  it  should  be  our  pride 
and  our  glory  to  be  bound  ^vith  the  bonds  of  His 
law,  with  the  bonds  of  His  Commandments,  with 
the  bonds  of  His  Di-\dne  Love. 

Then,  dismayed  at  what  had  happened,  the  dis- 
ciples fled,  and  nobody  dared  to  hinder  them. 
Another  disciple  of  the  Saviour,  however,  prob- 
ably the  son  of  the  gardener,^  who  was  not  among 
the  number  of  those  of  whom  Christ  had  said,  **Let 
these  go  their  way,"  almost  fared  badly.^  He  es- 
caped captivity  only  by  leaving  in  the  hands  of  the 
soldiers  the  linen  cloth,  which,  when  awakened 
from  sleep  by  the  noise,  he  had  hurriedly  thrown 
about  his  shoulders,  and  by  hurrying  away  in  his 
night  garments  or  perhaps  with  only  a  cloth  about 
his  loins.  From  this  incident  we  can  judge  that 
the  position  of  the  disciples  was  very  dangerous, 

1  See   note  4. 

2  St.  Mark,  xiv.,  51. 


THE  SEIZUEE  OF  THE  SAVIOUR  75 

that  the  terror  of  the  enemies  of  Christ  was  great, 
that  they  were  fully  decided  to  apprehend  the 
disciples  also.  The  flight  of  the  latter  it  is  easy, 
therefore,  to  understand. 

When  we  consider  the  event  calmly  and  with- 
out prejudice,  we  must  avow  that,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, the  apostles  could  not  well  have  acted 
differently.  Full  of  courage,  they  would  strike 
mth  the  sword.  That  was  forbidden  them.  From 
the  words  of  the  Saviour,  * '  Let  these  go  their  way, ' ' 
they  understood  that  they  were  not  to  follow  Him 
into  captivity  and  death,  but  that,  as  He  further 
intimated,  they  were  to  relinquish  Him  to  the 
powers  of  darkness,  whose  hour  had  now  arrived. 
So  nothing  remained  for  them  but  to  go  away. 
For  another  reason  it  was  the  most  reasonable 
and  the  most  advisable  thing  to  do,  for  they  would 
not  be  exposed  to  the  danger  of  denying  Christ  by 
close  contact  with  His  enemies.  They  committed 
a  fault,  however,  by  running  away  instead  of 
walking  away,  because,  thereby,  they  showed  a 
lack  of  confidence  in  the  Lord.  Christ  permitted 
this  weakness  in  the  apostles  in  order  thoroughly 
to  humble  them  and  to  divest  them  of  all  rash 
self-confidence.  Perhaps  while  they  were  running, 
all  their  boastful  promises  came  back  to  their 
minds.  Peter's  ears,  especially,  must  have  kept 
ringing  with  the  words,  *' Although  all  shall  be 
scandalized  in  thee,  yet  not  I.''  How  ashamed 
they  must  have  felt! 

Let  us,  then,  sympathize  with  the  poor  apostles 
and,  instead  of  condemning  them,  examine  our  own 


76  HISTOKY  OF  THE  PASSION 

consciences  to  see  whether  or  not  we  have  ever  aban- 
doned Jesus  from  motives  of  human  respect.  As 
a  matter  of  fact,  the  apostles  really  believed  their 
lives  in  danger,  whilst  we  need  fear  neither  bonds, 
nor  prison,  nor  death.  A  little  slur,  a  sarcastic 
smile,  a  cutting  remark  on  the  part  of  some  im- 
pious profligate  leads  many  a  Christian  to  abandon 
the  Lord  and  to  neglect  the  most  sacred  duties. 
In  small  matters  we  are  all  less  faithful  than  the 
apostles  were  on  this  occasion.  Let  us  then  in 
sorrow  strike  our  own  breasts. 

The  weakness  of  the  apostles  which  led  to  their 
salvation  will  then  be  to  us  a  source  of  strength; 
their  flight,  a  source  of  courage  and  consolation. 
When  we  again  meet  them  on  the  day  of  Pentecost 
and  see  them  go  forth  like  heroes  to  conquer  the 
world,  we  shall  be  encouraged  by  the  thought  that, 
notwithstanding  our  misery  and  cowardice,  we 
may  also  become  saints.  For  that  purpose,  how- 
ever, we  must  pray  to  the  Saviour  that  He  attach 
us  inseparably  to  Himself  in  the  bonds  of  His 
love,  so  that  we  may  remain  faithful  to  Him  even 
unto  death. 


CHAPTER  YII. 

THE  EVENTS   IMMEDIATELY   FOLLOWING    THE   SEIZURE 
OF  CHRIST 

"  And  they  led  him  away  to  Annas 
first,  for  he  was  father-in-law  to 
Caiphas,  who  was  the  high-priest  of 
that  year.  The  high-priest  therefore 
asked  Jesus  of  his  disciples^  and  of 
his  doctrine."       (John  xviii.,  13,  19.) 

After  the  seizure  of  the  Redeemer,  St.  Matthew, 
St.  Mark  and  St.  Luke  proceed  at  once  to  tell  of 
His  being  led  to  Caiphas.  St.  Matthew  and  St. 
Mark  then  describe  the  trial  proper  before  Caiphas 
and  the  chief-priests,  which  ended  in  the  con- 
demnation of  Christ;  all  three  evangelists  then 
mention  the  triple  denial  of  Peter  in  the  vestibule 
of  the  palace  of  Caiphas.  But  they  tell  us  noth- 
ing of  the  appearance  before  Annas,  nor  of  the 
preliminary  trial  in  which  Annas  ^  questioned 
Jesus  concerning  His  disciples  and  His  doctrine, 
nor  of  the  blow  upon  the  cheek  dealt  Jesus  after 
this  interrogatory.  All  of  this  is  supplied  in  the 
narrative  of  St.  John,  who  also  tells  us  that  the  first 
denial  of  Peter  occurred  during  this  preliminary 
trial.    However,  we  know  that  the  evangelists  were 

1  See  note  5. 

77 


78  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

neither  commissioned  nor  did  they  intend  to  write 
of  all  that  happened. 

Let  us  now  consider  ^ 
I.  The  march  from  Mount  Olivet  to  Annas; 

II.  The  preliminary  trial  before  Annas. 


St.  John  tells  of  Our  Lord's  going  from  Mount 
Olivet  to  Annas  in  these  simple  words,  **And  they 
led  him  away  to  Annas  first."  This  march,  in 
the  first  place,  was  very  painful  to  the  Saviour. 
Owing  to  the  great  loss  of  blood  in  the  Garden 
of  Olives,  He  was  in  a  state  of  extreme  exhaustion. 
The  fetters  with  which  the  caution  of  His  captors 
had  loaded  His  Sacred  Body  made  it  very  difficult 
for  Him  to  walk.  The  rabble,  drunk  with  victory, 
beat,  pushed,  pulled,  in  a  word,  maltreated  Him  in 
a  manner  of  which  only  a  violent  and  enraged 
multitude  were  capable.  It  is  not  improbable  as 
some  commentators  opine,  that  on  the  way  He  re- 
peatedly fell  to  the  ground,  even  into  the  brook 
Cedron  itself,  whence  the  ruffians  dragged  Him  as 
if  He  were  some  wild  beast. 

Again,  this  march  was  extremely  humiliating  to 
His  Divine  Heart.  He  was  bound,  as  if  He  were 
a  murderer  and  robber.  The  disgrace  was  the 
greater  because  of  the  high  prestige  formerly  en- 
joyed by  Him.  It  was  immensely  increased  b^ 
the  infernal  laughter,  the  grinning  faces  and  the 

iSt.  Matthew,  xxvi.,  57;  St.  Mark,  xiv.,  53;  St.  Luke, 
xxii.,  54;  St.  John,  xviii.,  13,  19-24. 


EVENTS  AFTER  THE  SEIZURE  79 

jeers  and  curses  of  His  enemies.  But  this  igno- 
miny reached  its  height  at  the  entrance  into  the 
city.  Christ  was  led  through  the  Golden  Portal, 
also  called  the  Sheep's  Gate,  through  which,  amid 
the  applause,  the  felicitations  and  the  joyful  ac- 
clamations of  all  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem,  He 
had,  on  Palm  Sunday,  made  His  triumphal  entry. 
He  was  led  through  the  same  street  where  He  had 
passed  over  palm  branches  and  spread  garments, 
greeted  the  while  with  solemn  hosannas.  The 
noise  of  the  troop  awoke  the  people  from  their 
sleep;  every  one  ran  into  the  street;  the  low  char- 
acters of  the  city  crept  out  of  their  dens;  they  all 
leered  at  Him  in  curiosity  or  malice;  they  all  ex- 
ulted at  His  capture.  All  this  caused  incompre- 
hensible shame  to  the  Divine  Heart.  It  was  still 
more  incomprehensible  that  Almighty  God  did  not 
repeat  the  punishment  once  inflicted  upon  the 
Bethsamites  who,  in  sinful  curiosity  and  irrever- 
ence, had  dared  to  gaze  upon  the  ark  of  the  Old 
Testament. 

It  is  true  indeed,  that  the  Saviour  knew  Him- 
self to  be  innocent.  But  this  knowledge  could  not 
remove  the  shame  felt  by  His  human  heart.  What 
would  be  your  feelings,  Christian  man,  if,  amid 
the  hisses  and  the  jeers  of  a  curious  multitude,  you 
were  to  be  dragged,  bound  and  fettered  through 
the  streets  of  the  city  to  the  door  of  the  jail?  Al- 
though convinced  of  your  own  innocence,  you  still 
would  wish  that  the  earth  might  swallow  you,  and 
the  fact  of  your  respectability  would  merely  in- 
tensify this  wish.     Whether  or  no  we  shall  have 


80  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

the  honor  of  following  Christ,  Who  is  "the  Way,'* 
on  this  way  of  disgrace,  we  cannot  tell.  We 
ought,  however,  to  accustom  ourselves  to  support 
patiently  and  joyfully  lesser  humiliations;  then, 
with  the  grace  of  Christ,  we  may  heroically  bear 
greater  ones  whenever  it  pleases  God  to  inflict  them 
on  us. 

Meanwhile  they  arrived  before  Annas,  who  lived 
in  the  same  house  with  Caiphas,  his  son-in-law. 
This  man,  Annas,^  by  bribing  the  Roman  gov- 
ernor, had  obtained  the  dignity  of  high-priest  in 
the  sixth  year  after  the  birth  of  Christ.  Later  on 
he  had  to  yield  the  place  to  a  certain  Ismael ;  but, 
by  means  of  money,  he  again  succeeded  in  obtain- 
ing the  dignity  for  his  son  Eleazar  and  for  his 
son-in-law  Caiphas  when,  one  year  after  his  in- 
stallation, Eleazar  had  been  supplanted  by  Simon. 
In  the  course  of  time,  four  more  of  his  sons  were 
made  high-priests,  the  youngest  of  whom  obtained 
the  high  office  when  Annas  was  ninety  years  old, 
for  which  reason  Annas  was  called  the  happiest 
of  men.  He  owed  his  continued  influence  in  the 
appointment  of  high-priests  not  only  to  his  money, 
but  also  to  his  energy  and  to  the  firm  grasp  by 
which  he  kept  together  the  party  of  the  Sadducees 
to  which  he  belonged.  Annas  is  indeed  an  apt 
illustration  of  an  impenitent  sinner,  who  will  not 
desist  from  evil  even  in  hoary  old  age  and  on  the 
brink  of  the  grave. 

But  what  caused  the  soldiers  or  rather  the  chief- 

iFlavius  Jos.,  Aut.  1.  20  eh.  9.  n.  1.  2. 


EVENTS  AFTER  THE  SEIZURE  81 

priests  and  elders  who  commanded  the  troop,  to 
lead  Christ  to  Annas,  who,  not  being  in  office,  had 
no  jurisdiction  over  Him?  St.  John  gives  ns  the 
first  reason.  Annas  was  the  father-in-law  of 
Caiphas.  Such  consideration  for  the  father-in-law 
could  not  fail  to  recommend  the  chief-priests  to 
the  son-in-law.  Then,  to  avoid  being  charged  with 
neglect,  they  were  impelled  to  please  the  old  man 
himself.  In  this  particular  matter  his  claims  were 
too  numerous  to  be  slighted.  According  to  St, 
Cyril  of  Alexandria,^  he  was  the  very  soul  of  the 
whole  conspiracy  against  Christ.  In  fact,  the  Acts 
of  the  Apostles  (iv.,  6)  show  him  to  have  been  the 
spiritual  head  of  the  entire  anti-Christian  party. 
Therefore,  the  chief-priests  led  the  captured  prey, 
in  triumph,  into  the  house  of  Annas  to  present 
Christ  that  he  might  feast  his  eyes  upon  Him,  a 
thing  he  had  long  desired.  Judas,  also,  insisted 
upon  this,  because  he  had  made  the  bargain  with 
Annas,  and  he  wanted  his  money.  Finally,  as  St. 
Augustine  writes,^  Caiphas,  to  honor  his  father-in- 
law,  had  instructed  the  chief-priests  to  lead  Christ 
to  Annas  first.  But  throughout  all,  Caiphas  was 
secretly  following  out  other  purposes.  However 
bold  and  confident  he  appeared  during  the  entire 
proceedings,  he  still  greatly  feared  lest  Christ  es- 
cape him  again  by  means  of  sorcery  or  diabolical 
craft,  which,  of  course,  would  destroy  his  prestige 
as  high-priest.  Whether  or  not  this  attempt  would 
be   successful   must   therefore   be.  ascertained   by 

iln  Joan.   1,  11    (Joan.  18,  13). 
2  Tract,  in  Joann.  113,  1. 
6 


82  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

the  inquiry  of  some  one  else  who  held  no  of- 
ficial position.  He  thought  that  his  father-in- 
law  was  just  the  proper  person  to  try  the  experi- 
ment, so  slender  often  are  family  ties  among  the 
godless.  Whenever  private  interest  demands  it, 
one  member  of  a  family  is  ready  to  sacrifice 
another.  Besides  this,  Caiphas,  who  was  the  first 
to  propose  the  death  of  Christ  in  grand  council, 
wished  as  much  as  possible  to  remove  from  himself 
the  odium  of  the  affair.  Nothing,  therefore,  would 
please  him  more  than  that  Annas,  who  to  his  high 
standing  joined  uncommon  shrewdness,  should  by 
a  preliminary  examination  discover  matter  for  ac- 
cusation, and  prepare  the  way  for  the  trial  proper, 
in  short,  be  the  plaintiff  in  the  case  before  him, 
the  high-priest.  Christ,  then,  stood  before  Annas. 
How  the  latter  must  have  rejoiced  to  see,  bound 
before  him,  the  irksome  preacher  of  penance. 
Christ  had  so  often  scourged  the  band  of  pharisees 
and  unmercifully  laid  bare  their  malice  and  hypoc- 
risy. There  He  now  stands  fettered.  But  how 
short-lived  is  the  joy  of  the  impious!  Even 
death's  bonds  shall  be  severed  after  three  days. 

Let  us  now  turn  our  attention  to  the  preliminary 
hearing  before  Annas. 

II. 

Annas  was  an  ex-high-priest.  He  therefore  had 
no  right  whatever  to  hold  an  enquiry.  But  that 
mattered  little  to  him.  It  was  of  more  concern  to 
him  to  gather  from  the  Redeemer's  answers  points 
to  form  a  basis  of  accusation  in  a  subsequent  legal 


EVENTS  AFTER  THE  SEIZURE  83 

trial.     Annas,    therefore,    questioned    the    Saviour 
first  about  His  disciples,  their  number,  the  reason 
why  He  had  as  many  apostles  as  there  had  been 
patriarchs,  as  many  disciples  as  there  were  elders, 
why  He  had  gathered  to  Himself  entirely  unedu- 
cated,  ignorant  people  from  among  the  common 
herd.     He   wished   to    know    whether    Christ   had 
bound  them  to  Himself,  like  modern  free-masons, 
by  secret  oaths,  what  were  the  purposes  of  His 
nomadic  wanderings,  whether  or  not  He  had  politi- 
cal ends  in  view.     His  aims  could  hardly  be  proper 
ones  or  His  disciples  would  not  have  abandoned 
Him.     They  had  probably  reached  the  conclusion 
that  He  had  falsely  claimed  to  be  the  Messiah  and 
that  He  was  an  impostor.     Annas  also  questioned 
the   Saviour   about  His   doctrine.     He   wished   to 
know  in  what  school  of  law  He  had  been  trained, 
which  of  the  tendencies  current  among  the  scribes 
He  followed,  whether  He  had  a  rightful  mission 
to  teach,  and,  if  so,  from  whom  He  had  received 
it.     For  whoever  would  publicly  teach  either  law 
or  doctrines  of  faith  was  required  to  receive  from 
an  authorized  teacher  a  proper  commission  which 
was    usually    given    by    the    imposing    of    hands. 
Therefore,   besides   claiming  a  direct,   divine   call 
and  attestation  of  His  right  to  teach,  Christ  had 
formerly  also  appealed  to  the  testimony  of  John 
the  Baptist.^     Furthermore,  as  Annas  was  aware 
from  previous  investigations  ^  that  Christ  agreed 
with  none  of  the  existing  and  violently  conflicting 

iSt.  John,  v.,  33. 

2  St.  Matthew,  xix.,  3. 


84  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

schools  regarding  the  interpretation  of  the  Mosaic 
Law  and  the  traditions  of  the  teachers,  he  un- 
doubtedly put  some  very  pointed  questions  to  the 
Redeemer.  The  answers  of  Christ  were  expected 
to  stamp  Him  as  a  despiser  of  the  law  of  Moses, 
or  at  least  to  embitter  and  excite  against  Him  one 
or  the  other  of  the  various  parties.  No  matter 
how  the  accused  might  reply,  he  would,  Annas 
thought,  hurt  His  own  cause. 

Christ  did  not  answer  the  first  question  relating 
to  His  disciples.  Had  He  named  them  and  de- 
clared them  to  be  His  disciples,  a  warrant  for 
their  arrest  would  probably  have  been  issued  at 
once.  Besides,  just  at  this  time.  He  could  not  say 
anything  very  laudatory  of  them,  and  He  would 
not  mention  their  faults  and  weaknesses,  their 
pride  and  vanity,  their  drowsiness  and  sloth  in  the 
Garden  of  Olives  and  their  hasty  flight  at  His 
seizure.  It  is  a  point  we  ought  to  remember  in  our 
conversations.  Furthermore,  an  answer  to  this 
question  was  not  necessary.  Owing  to  the  intention 
of  the  high-priest  in  putting  his  question,  it  was 
necessary  to  give  an  answer  regarding  the  doctrine 
only.  For  if  the  doctrine  was  good  and  from  God, 
Christ  could  not  have  gathered  the  disciples  about 
Him  for  any  ignoble  purpose.  Christ,  therefore, 
give  an  answer  concerning  His  doctrine  to  show 
Annas  that  He  would  not  withdraw  jot  or  tittle 
from  it.  His  answer,  however,  was  again  so  pru- 
dent that  He  avoided  the  trap  set  for  Him.  He  did 
not  enter  into  an  explanation  or  a  confirmation  of 
His  teachings.     He  knew  that  He  had  before  Him 


EVENTS  AFTER  THE  SEIZURE  85 

hardened  rascals  who  cared  naught  for  truth.  For 
this  reason,  He  avoided  all  manner  of  dispute  and 
religious  discussion — all  of  which  He  meant  for  our 
instruction.  For  although  it  is  certainly  good  and 
laudable  to  silence  malicious  doubters  and  scoffers 
with  a  clean-cut,  sound  answer,  still  it  is  not 
advisable  in  most  cases  to  enter  into  religious  con- 
troversies with  them.  We  ought  rather  to  tell 
them  that  every  Sunday  sermons  are  preached  in 
our  chui'ches  on  doctrines  of  faith  and  morals  and 
that  they  ought  to  go  there  for  enlightenment.  In 
order,  then,  to  defend  His  doctrine,  Christ  merely 
appealed  to  the  fact  that  He  had  always  preached 
in  public  and  often  in  the  Temple,  whence  it  could 
be  inferred  that  He  never  desired  secretly  to  spread 
false  teachings.  He  said  that  He  had  taught  noth- 
ing secretly,  that  is  with  the  intention  that  it  should 
remain  secret.  He  had  indeed  often  spoken  to  the 
apostles  alone  and  had  initiated  them  into  many 
mysteries.  But  He  imposed  upon  them  at  the 
same  time  this  injunction :  ^ '  That  which  you  hear 
in  the  ear,  preach  ye  upon  the  housetops. "  ^  *'  Ask 
them,"  Christ  continued,  **who  have  heard  what  I 
have  spoken  unto  them. ' '  It  would  verily  be  more 
in  keeping  with  legal  procedure  were  they  to  pre- 
sent definite  charges  regarding  my  doctrine  before 
requiring  me  to  speak  in  my  own  defence.  Truly, 
Annas,  thy  proceeding  is  not  only  unlawful  but 
also  very  foolish.  For  what  reasonable  judge 
would  expect  an  accused  to  freely  furnish  him, 
by  an  open  avowal,  material  for  a  charge? 

1  St.  Matthew,  x.,  27. 


86  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

It  seemed  to  one  of  the  servants  that  Christ 
looked  especially  at  him,  just  as  Christians  some- 
times assert  positively  that  the  preacher  of  the 
Divine  Word,  at  this  or  that  passage  of  his  ser- 
mon, gazed  directly  at  them.  The  servant  therefore 
believed  that  Christ  wished  him  to  testify  in  favor 
of  His  doctrine.  To  vent  his  rage  and  anger,  but 
mainly  to  please  the  high-priest  and  to  deter  others 
from  taking  sides  v^^ith  Christ,  this  man  rushed 
upon  the  Redeemer  and  gave  Him  such  a  fearful 
blow  upon  the  cheek  that  He  staggered.  At  the 
same  time,  he  feigned  respect  for  the  high-priest 
by  saying,  ''Answerest  thou  the  high-priest  so?" 
A  blow,  alas,  upon  the  cheek,  a  blow  of  the  fist,  a 
blow  of  an  iron-clad  fist  upon  the  Holy,  heavenly 
beautiful,  Divine  Face  which  the  angels  yearn  to 
behold!  Ah!  how  is  it  that  his  hand  did  not 
wither,  that  savage  beasts,  rushing  out  of  the 
desert,  did  not  tear  the  offender  in  pieces,  that  fire 
did  not  fall  from  heaven  to  consume  hini,  that  the 
earth  did  not  open  to  swallow  him!  Is  it  not 
barbarous  to  thus  maltreat  an  accused  man  who 
is  not  yet  sentenced  and  who  therefore  may  pos- 
sibly be  innocent  ?  Since  when  has  a  court  servant 
been  given  the  right  to  deal  a  blow  to  the  ac- 
cused who  is  defending  himself  in  open  court? 
-^But  the  high-priest  was  silent.  Had  his  dog  been 
beaten,  he  would  have  had  something  to  say. 

However,  the  blow  of  the  servant  was  aimed 
less  at  the  Person  of  the  Redeemer  than  at  His 
doctrine.  The  man  intended  thereby  to  bear  wit- 
ness to  the  objectionable  character  of  Jesus*  teach- 


EVENTS  AFTER  THE  SEIZURE  87 

ings  and  thought  to  deal  them  a  death-blow. 
For  which  reason,  and  also  to  show  us  that  even 
blows  should  not  deter  us  from  professing  the 
truth,  the  Saviour  did  not  remain  silent.  He 
most  decidedly  denied  that  the  defense  of  truth 
could  be  an  offense  to  the  high-priest.  But  re- 
garding his  former  teachings  he  demanded  of  the 
servant  proof  that  they  were  false  and  harmful. 
' '  If  I  have  spoken  evil,  give  testimony  of  the  evil : 
but  if  well,  why  strikest  thou  me?"  Christ  spoke 
these  last  words  to  bring  home  to  the  servant  the 
full  injustice  of  his  act  and,  as  he  probably  raised 
his  hand  to  deal  another  blow,  to  deter  him  from 
further  sins  and  bring  him  to  his  senses.  Where- 
fore he  is  likely  to  have  spoken  them  with  win- 
ning mildness  and  gentleness. 

Meanwhile  no  one  was  in  more  uncomfortable 
straits  than  Annas.  Had  he  not  lost  all  sense  of 
shame,  he  would  have  blushed  with  confusion.  For 
it  was  clear  to  the  witnesses  present  that  the 
answers  of  Christ  had  rightly  branded  the  conduct 
of  Annas  as  unlawful  and  foolish.  To  get  out  of 
his  awkward  position  and  to  rid  himself  of  the 
odious  affair,  Annas,  hurriedly  paid  Judas  the 
traitor's  price  and  sent  the  Saviour,  bound  as  He 
was,  to  Caiphas. 

*'Why  strikest  thou  Me?"  said  the  Saviour  to 
the  servant  who  had  maltreated  Him.  He  can 
say  the  same  to  every  sinner.  Why  strikest  thou 
Me?  Give  me  the  reason.  Why?  Is  it  because  I 
created  thee  when  thou  wast  not?  Or  is  it  be- 
cause I  saved  thee  when  thou  wast  in  the  chains 


88  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

of  Satan?  Or  is  it  because  I  have  restored  lost 
grace  to  thee  an  hundred  times?  Why?  Name 
the  crime  which  I  have  committed  against  thee. 
Thou  strikest  Me!  Is  this  thy  gratitude  for  all 
my  benefits?  It  is  thoii^  who  strikest  Me,  thou, 
the  privileged  one  among  thousands.  Thou  strikest 
me,  a  vile  menial,  a  fault-laden  sinner,  thou.  My 
creature,  the  work  of  My  hand,  thou,  for  whom  I 
am  about  to  shed  My  blood!  Thou  strikest  Me, 
Me,  thy  Friend,  thy  Brother,  thy  Protector,  thy 
Consoler,  thy  Judge,  thy  greatest  and  most  precious 
Good!  Indeed,  these  reproaches  of  the  Saviour 
may  well  bring  the  blush  of  confusion  to  each  of  us. 
Nevertheless,  the  blow  received  by  the  Kedeemer 
has  obtained  honor.  Whenever  a  pious  artist  rep- 
resents the  instruments  of  the  Saviour's  suffer- 
ings, the  iron-clad  fist  is  never  missing.  The  holy 
confessors  and  martyrs  suffered  joyfully  the  blow 
upon  the  cheek.  But  for  us  it  has  become  the 
accolade  of  knighthood  in  the  sacrament  of  Con- 
firmation. With  knightly  courage,  then,  let  us 
profess  our  faith  and  make  our  lives  accord  with  it. 
As  true  warriors  of  Jesus  Christ,  let  us  battle 
against  the  enemies  of  our  faith.  And  may  we, 
as  true  warriors  of  Jesus  Christ,  fall  some  day 
upon  the  battle  field,  for  then,  in  death,  the  Saviour 
will  give  us  the  palm  of  victory. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  TRIAL  OP  CHRIST  BEFORE  CAIPHAS 

"  Then  the  high-priest  rent  his  gar- 
ments, saying:  He  hath  blasphemed: 
what  further  need  have  we  of  wit- 
nesses? Behold,  now  you  have 
heard  the  blasphemy:  What  think 
you?  But  they  answering  said:  He 
is  guilty  of  death." 

(St.  Matthew,  xxvi.,  65-66.) 

Whilst  the  Redeemer  stood  before  Annas,  the 
members  of  the  Sanhedrin  assembled  with  Cai- 
phas.  Caiphas  was  the  high-priest  of  that  year. 
In  fact,  he  was  clad  with  this  dignity  during  the 
entire  public  life  of  Christ.  After  the  death  of 
Christ,  Pilate's  successor  deposed  him.  It  is  said 
that  grief  at  his  removal  caused  him  to  commit 
suicide.  The  composition  of  the  court  was  unique 
in  its  way.  **It  presented,''  says  St.  Chrysostom,^ 
''only  the  appearance  of  a  court,  in  reality  it  was 
an  assault  of  robbers."  Where  in  the  wide  world 
was  a  man  ever  allowed  to  be  the  judge  in  his  own 
cause?  How  is  impartiality  possible  where  the 
judges  are  at  the  same  time  the  accusers?    No 

iln  Matth.,  horn.  54   (al.  53)  n.  2. 
89 


90  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

other  assembly  equaled  the  Sanhedrin  ^  either  in 
outward  splendor  of  holiness  or  in  divine  prestige. 
It  was,  so  to  speak,  the  oracle  of  the  world,  the 
decisions  of  which  were  considered  binding  in 
conscience  and  irrefragable.  Before  this  assembly 
which  was  extolled  as  harboring  the  seat  of  Justice, 
which  was  modelled  after  the  fundamental  out- 
lines of  the  old  Mosaic  constitution  and  which  once 
had  counted  among  its  members  such  prophets  as 
Aggeus,  Zacharias  and  Malachias  and  the  great 
friends  of  God  such  as  Esdras,  before  this  ''high 
synod"  stood  Jesus  Christ,  Who  was  to  perfect 
that  Law,  to  fulfil  the  predictions  of  those  prophets 
and  the  expectations  of  all  those  just  men.  There 
He  stood  as  an  accused  criminal — He,  the  Son  of 
the  Eternal  Father,  the  Judge  of  the  living  and  of 
the  dead,  stood  there  to  be  judged  and  to  hear  His 
condemnation  to  death.  Let  us  listen  to  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  trial.  And  if  we  are  seized  with 
terror  and  dismay  on  entering,  in  spirit,  into  the 
house  of  Caiphas,  thither  we  shall,  nevertheless, 
follow  the  Redeemer  for  His  solace  and  for  our 
own  instruction.  Let  us,  therefore,  consider :  ^ 
I.  The  testimony  of  the  witnesses; 
II.  The  condemnation  of  the  Accused,  and 
III.  The  unlawful  maltreatment  of  the  Con- 
demned. 

1  See  note  6. 

2  St.  Matthew,  xxvi.,  59-68;    St.  Mark,  xiv.,  53-65;   St. 
Luke,  xxii.,  63-65. 


CHRIST  BEFORE  CAIPHAS  91 


The  preliminary  trial  before  Annas  was  barren 
of  results.  Nothing  had  come  to  light  that  might 
form  the  basis  of  an  accusation,  and  thus  Caiphas 
had  to  begin  without  having  before  him  any  charge. 
After  the  judges  had  taken  their  seats,  the  signal 
for  the  opening  of  the  trial  was  given.  According 
to  custom,  the  Saviour  was  released  from  His  bonds 
as  a  sign  that  He  had  full  liberty  to  defend  Him- 
self. Everybody  was  now  intent  to  hear  the  ac- 
cusation, but  no  accuser  opened  his  lips.  As  if 
awakening  from  a  profound  sleep,  the  judges  col- 
lect their  wits  and  find  themselves  in  a  bad  pre- 
dicament. They  will  not  and  cannot  condemn 
Christ  without  a  definite  charge  and  without  ac- 
cusers; for  they  must  above  all,  preserve  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  legal,  juridical  trial.  So,  as  a  last 
resort,  the  high-priest  requested  those  present  to 
testify  against  Christ  and  to  bring  charges.  There- 
upon some  complied  and  related  what  the  pharisees 
among  the  crowd  had  hurriedly  v/hispered  to  them. 
But,  to  the  great  dismay  of  the  high-priest,  they 
contradicted  themselves.  Here,  indeed,  the  usual 
cunning  of  the  pharisees  had  played  them  false, 
inasmuch  as  they  could  not  train  a  few  men  to  give 
unanimous  testimony.  Now  was  the  word  of  the 
psalmist  verified :  *  *  Unjust  witnesses  have  risen  up 
against  me;  and  iniquity  hath  lied  to  itself.''^ 
Finally  two  more  false  witnesses  arose,  similar  to 
the  two  sons  of  Belial,  who  were  suborned  by  im- 

1  Psalms,  xxvi.,  12. 


92  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

pious  Jezabel  to  testify  that  "Naboth  hath  blas- 
phemed God  and  the  king."  It  is  indeed  a  ter- 
rible thing  to  allow  one's  self  to  be  used  as  a  wit- 
ness against  the  Eternal  Truth.  The  testimony 
of  the  one  was  this :  ' '  This  man  said,  I  am  able  to 
destroy  the  temple  of  God,  and  after  three  days 
to  rebuild  it. "  ^  The  testimony  of  the  other  was 
as  follows:  *'We  heard  him  say,  I  will  destroy 
this  temple  made  with  hands,  and  within  three 
days  I  will  build  another  not  made  with  hands.  "^ 
These  testimonies  were  false,  because  they  dis- 
torted the  words  of  Christ.  Christ  had  said,  *'De-. 
stroy  this  temple,"  that  is,  if  you  destroy  it,  not 
I  destroy  it,  **and  in  three  days  I  will  raise  it 
up."^  Christ  had  therefore  attributed  to  Him- 
self the  Power  and  the  will  not  of  destroying  but 
of  reconstructing,  and  this  only  conditionally  upon 
their  having  destroyed  this  temple. 

Neither  did  He  then  refer  to  the  temple  of 
Solomon,  but  to  the  temple  of  His  own  body.* 
These  testimonies  were  irrelevant  in  any  case, 
even  if  Christ  had  spoken  of  the  temple  of  Solomon 
in  the  sense  attributed  to  Him.  They  furnished 
no  cause  for  a  death  penalty,  which  usually  can  be 
imposed  for  criminal  acts  only.  Now,  of  these 
two  witnesses,  one  accused  Christ  of  boastful  words 
and  the  other,  of  an  internal  act  of  the  will.  The 
words  of  the  Saviour,  no  matter  to  what  extent 

1  St.  Matthew,  xxvi.,  61. 

2  St.  Mark,  xiv.,  58. 

3  St.  John,  ii.,  19. 

4  St.  John,  ii.,  21. 


CHRIST  BEFORE  CAIPHAS  93 

their  sense  was  perverted,  could  at  most  justify  the 
opinion  that  He  was  either  a  braggart  or  a  fool, 
but  not  a  criminal.  Such  an  inunense  building  as 
Solomon's  temple  could  not  be  quietly  torn  down 
over  night.  And  if  Christ  had  really  torn  it  down, 
but  rebuilt  it  in  three  days,  the  damage  done 
would  be  very  trivial  indeed.  But  the  intention 
was  to  represent  the  words  of  Christ  as  being  a 
crime  against  God,  the  Lord  of  the  Sanctuary, 
and  against  the  Temple,  the  center  of  worship. 

Therewith  closed  the  comedy  of  hearing  wit- 
nesses. They  took  good  care  not  to  admit  testi- 
monj'  for  the  defense,  as  is  the  custom  in  all  trials. 
And  they  had  their  reasons.  For  were  Christ  to 
bring  forward  all  the  hungry  whom  He  had  fed, 
all  the  sick  whom  He  had  healed,  all  the  dead 
whom  He  had  raised  to  life,  the  infernal  scheme 
of  the  mob  would  be  foiled.  As  it  was,  the  ac- 
cusers contradicted  themselves.  This  was  truly  a 
glorious  triumph  of  eternal  truth  which  the  Cath- 
olic Church  has  also  achieved  in  every  Christian 
century.  Everything  that  opposes  her  and  con- 
temns the  mass  of  testimony  showing  her  Divinit^^', 
exposes  its  own  contradictions  and  makes  itself 
unqualifiedly  ridiculous. 

It  would  have  been  the  duty  of  a  just  judge  to 
call,  like  a  second  Daniel,  the  attention  of  the  wit- 
nesses to  the  contradiction  in  which  they  were  en- 
tangled, to  brand  these  witnesses  as  perjurers  and 
to  punish  them.  The  high-priest,  however,  arose 
hastily  and  advanced.  Approving  by  his  actions 
the    false    testimony    and    taking    its    truth    for 


94  HISTOKY  OF  THE  PASSION 

granted,  he  nevertheless  fairly  boiled  with  anger  at 
the  inept  statements  as  well  as  at  the  calmness  with 
which  the  Saviour  seemed  to  despise  the  charges, 
and  he  hurled  at  the  latter  these  words:  "Answer- 
est  Thou  nothing  to  the  things  which  these  wit- 
ness against  Thee?"  that  is,  ''Hast  Thou  no  re- 
mark to  make  upon  this  testimony,  hast  Thou  noth- 
ing to  say  in  Thine  own  defense  ? ' ' 

This  question  gave  Christ  leave  to  speak  and 
challenged  Him  to  a  defense.  It  was  undoubt- 
edly the  shortest  defense  ever  made.  The  Gospel 
describes  it  in  these  words:  ''But  Jesus  held  his 
peace. ' '  But  for  all  its  brevity,  this  defense  of  the 
Redeemer  had  its  effect.  It  found  enthusiastic 
admirers;  it  was  repeated  by  thousands  of  saints 
and  pious  people  after  they  had  been  outrageously 
caluminated,  and  it  still  works  prodigies  even  to 
our  own  day. 

But  it  threw  Caiphas  into  shameless  and  unre- 
strained fury.  Wherefore  the  miserable  wretch 
sought,  by  a  question  of  devilish  cunning,  to  lay 
a  new  snare  for  Christ,  Whom  he  otherwise  would 
have  to  release  for  want  of  incriminating  proof. 
He  had  no  doubt  but  that  the  answer  of  the  Saviour 
would  furnish  sufficient  points  to  warrant  a  death- 
sentence. 

Let  us  pass  on  to  the  sentencing  of  the  Accused. 

II. 

It  was  decreed  of  God  from  all  eternity  that, 
on  this  day,  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
Christ  should  enter  upon  His  functions  as  High- 


CHRIST  BEFORE  CAIPHAS  95 

Priest,  with  which  act  was  inevitably  connected  the 
extinction  of  the  office  of  high-priest  of  the  Old 
Law.  In  a  manner,  therefore,  the  Redeemer  owed 
it  to  His  honor  to  present  Himself  before  Caiphas 
in  order  to  prove  and  to  confirm  by  oath  the  valid- 
ity of  His  title.  Otherwise  evil  tongues  might 
charge  Him  with  having  unlawfully  assumed  this 
dignity.  The  declaration  of  Christ  must  be  placed 
on  record  and  preserved  in  the  archives  of  the  syn- 
agogue. Now  this  solemn  moment  had  arrived. 
Christ  stood  before  Caiphas,  the  high-priest  of  the 
Old  Law.  In  presence  of  the  entire  court  and  of 
the  assembled  multitude,  Caiphas  said  with  a  loud 
voice,  ''I  adjure  Thee  by  the  living  God,  that 
Thou  tell  us  if  Thou  be  the  Christ  the  Son  of  God." 
Every  one  waited  for  the  answer.  The  silence  of 
death  was  spread  over  the  room.  Then  the  Re- 
deemer opened  His  mouth  and  said,  ''Thou  hast 
said  it.     I  am.'' 

Rejoice,  0  Caiphas,  and  be  glad!  How  is  it 
possible  adequately  to  praise  the  honor  and  dis- 
tinction conferred  upon  thee!  Since  the  days  of 
Malachias,  thy  predecessors  in  office  have  yearned 
for  Him  Who,  as  the  High-Priest  of  the  New  Law, 
was  to  do  away  with  the  bloody  sacrifices  of  animals 
and  offer  a  sacrifice  worthy  of  the  Divine  Majesty. 
What  they  longed  in  vain  to  see  was  reserved  for 
thee,  0  Caiphas.  Before  thee  stands  the  Expected 
of  nations,  the  Redeemer  of  the  world,  the  Son  of 
God  Himself.  To  thee  has  been  given  the  honor 
of  receiving  Him,  investing  Him  with  the  insignia 
of  His  dignity.     Throw  thyself,  then,  at  the  feet  of 


96  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

Christ,  adore  Him,  tender  Him  thy  congratula- 
tions! But  ye,  chief -priests  and  scribes,  ancients 
and  menials,  crave  His  pardon  in  tears.  Tell  Him 
how  that  it  was  only  through  an  unfortunate  mis- 
understanding, never  sufficiently  to  be  deplored, 
that  His  hands  were  bound  and  He  Himself  mal- 
treated and  placed  in  the  dock  of  criminals.  Then 
send  messengers  through  Jerusalem  and  over  the 
entire  land.  Shout  it  from  the  house  tops  and 
from  the  pinnacle  of  the  Temple,  carry  the  glad 
tidings  even  into  the  lowliest  hut,  announce  it  to 
the  shepherds  in  the  field:  ''Christ,  the  Saviour, 
is  here."  "Then  the  high-priest  rent  his  gar- 
ments, saying:  He  hath  blasphemed:  what  further 
need  have  we  of  witnesses  ?  Behold,  now  you  have 
heard  the  blasphemy:  What  think  you?  Who 
all  condemned  Him  to  be  guilty  of  death,  and  said : 
He  is  guilty  of  death." 

Let  us  cast  another  glance  upon  this  scene.  Let 
us  consider  especially  the  snare  which  the  high- 
priest,  by  his  question,  prepared  for  the  Saviour. 
Christ  could  hardly  escape.  He  was  undone.  Had 
He  answered  in  the  negative,  he  would  have  been 
charged  with  blasphemous  fraud  in  that  formerly 
He  falsely  claimed  to  be  the  Son  of  'God.  Silence 
\  was  the  only  escape.  Christ  however  spoke,  first, 
out  of  reverence  for  the  Name  of  God  by  whom 
Caiphas  had  adjured  Him ;  then,  in  humble  obedi- 
ence to  the  high-priest  who  had  a  right  to  ask  the 
question;  lastly,  in  order  to  deprive  his  judges  of 
all  excuse  on  the  day  of  judgment.  Had  He  not 
answered  at  all,  or  given  only  an  evasive  answer, 


CHRIST  BEFORE  CAIPHAS  97 

they  might  say  to  justify  themselves,  '*We  asked 
Him  officially  and  in  the  name  of  God,  but  He  gave 
us  no  answer.  Had  He  then  admitted  the  truth, 
we  would  not  only  not  have  put  Him  to  death,  but 
we  would  have  believed  in  Him.'* 

Then  let  us  admire  the  divine  dignity,  majesty 
and  love  with  which  the  Lord  says  to  His  judges, 
**Now,  indeed,  you  behold  Me  in  extreme  weakness 
and  humiliation.  But  the  day  is  coming  and  is 
not  far  distant  when,  sitting  on  the  right  hand  of 
God,  I  shall  appear  in  the  clouds  to  pronounce 
upon  you  the  sentence  of  eternal  damnation  unless 
you  now  confess  Me  before  men. ' ' 

Let  us  also  thank  the  Saviour  for  this  lumi- 
nous proof  of  His  divinity.  The  high-priest  ad- 
jured Him  by  the  living  God  to  say  whether  He 
was  the  Son  of  God  or  not.  Christ  answered,  **I 
am, ' '  and  He  sealed  this  testimony  with  His  blood. 
The  Son  of  Man  is  therefore  the  Son  of  God  and 
the  Judge  of  the  living  and  the  dead.  Foolish,  / 
therefore,  and  contradictory  is  the  assertion  of 
modern  pagans  that  Christ  is  not  God,  but  that  He 
was  the  wisest  and  holiest  of  men.  Whoever  does 
not  recognize  in  Christ  the  Son  of  God  must  con- 
sider Him  either  a  fool  or  the  most  shameless  de- 
ceiver.    Common  sense  must  acknowledge  this. 

Meanwhile  the  alleged  blasphemy  made  the  pious 
heart  of  Caiphas  heavy  with  anxiety  and  sadness. 
To  give  vent  to  his  sorrow  and  indignation,  this 
miserable  hypocrite  tore  his  garment  and  bared 
his  shameless  breast.     Thereby  was  the  garment  of 

the  Old  Law  rent  for  all  time.    *' Thanks  be  to 

7 


98  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

God,"  he  then  exclaimed,  ''we  now  have  what  we 
want;  we  need  no  more  witnesses;  the  blasphemy- 
is  evident."  But  cunningly  assuming  the  role  of 
a  plaintiff,  he  left  it  to  his  colleagues  to  pronounce 
the  sentence  of  death.  They  all  cried  out  at  once, 
' '  He  is  guilt/  of  death, ' '  this  being  in  perfect  con- 
sonance with  the  law  of  Moses.  "He  that  blas- 
phemeth  the  name  of  the  Lord,  dying  let  him 
die."^ 

Meanwhile,  the  sentence  of  death  was  not  legally 
valid.  Setting  aside  the  fact  that  it  had  been  il- 
legally pronounced  at  night  time  and  probably 
only  by  the  minor  council;  that,  in  a  criminal 
case,  the  judgment  was  never  to  be  pronounced  on 
the  day  of  the  trial,  and,  least  of  all,  on  the  eve 
of  the  Sabbath;  that  according  to  ancient  custom, 
the  condemned  had  the  privilege  of  a  new  trial  if 
an  attorney  undertook  his  case,  it  was  necessary, 
besides,  as  we  shall  see  later  on,  that  the  Eoman 
governor  give  his  approval.  All  this  must  increase 
our  astonishment  at  the  unlawful  maltreatment 
heaped  upon  the  condemned  Redeemer. 

III. 

Whenever  a  criminal  is  condemned  to  death,  no 
matter  how  great  his  crimes  may  have  been,  at  the 
moment  when  judgment  is  pronounced,  sympathy 
begins.  The  proximity  of  death  is,  in  our  esti- 
mation, atonement,  to  a  certain  extent,  for  the 
crime  committed,  and  it  reconciles  us  with  the  un- 

iLevit.,  xxiv.,  16. 


CHRIST  BEFORE  CAIPHAS  99 

fortunate  one.  And  the  thought  of  his  agony, 
of  the  pains  resulting  from  the  execution  and  of 
his  unnatural  death,  excites  in  every  generous 
heart  pity  and  sympathy.  After  sentence  has  been 
pronounced,  even  judges  are  sometimes  found  to 
assure  the  poor  victim  of  their  sympathy  and  of 
their  regret  that  inexorable  law  forced  them  to  put 
aside  all  forbearance.  It  is,  therefore,  a  custom, 
among  all  peoples  who  make  any  kind  of  preten- 
sion to  civilization,  to  alleviate  the  last  days  of  the 
condemned  and  to  gratify,  as  much  as  possible,  all 
their  desires.  On  the  other  hand,  it  would  be  con- 
sidered brutal  cruelty  and  inconceivable  meanness 
to  maltreat,  aggrieve,  insult  or  ridicule  them. 

But  as  soon  as  the  sentence  of  death  had  been 
pronounced  upon  Christ,  amid  a  storm  of  applause, 
the  servants  and  menials  and — ^who  would  think 
it  possible? — several  of  the  judges,  scribes,  Phari- 
sees and  priests  fell  upon  Him  and  vented  their 
fury  and  hatred  in  blows,  in  buffeting  and  drag- 
ging Him  hither  and  thither,  pulling  His  hair 
and  reviling  Him  in  most  bitter  sarcasm.^  Thus  it 
happens.  When  prominent  people  abandon  reli- 
gion and  morality,  they  become  viler  than  the  com- 
mon rabble.  The  members  of  the  court  then  ar- 
ranged for  a  second  full  meeting  in  the  morning  to 
take  the  proper  measures  for  the  execution  of  the 
sentence.  Thereupon,  probably  soon  after  two 
0  'clock,  they  retired  to  take  a  well-earned  rest. 
Meanwhile  the  Redeemer  was  left  to  the  servants 

iSt.  Mark,  xiv.,  65. 


100  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

and  court-menials.  They  dragged  Him  out  of  the 
palace,  through  the  court-yard,  past  Peter,  into  a 
small  prison  next  to  the  guard-room.  In  this 
prison  the  indicted  were  kept  under  lock  and  key 
during  the  intervals  of  their  trial  and  at  night. 
The  Saviour  was  tired  almost  to  death  when  He 
reached  His  cell.  But  sleep  and  rest  were  denied 
Him;  for  the  servants  and  menials  continued  to 
treat  Him  as  they  had  done  in  the  court-room. 
What  the  innocent  Lamb  of  God  had  to  suffer  until 
morning  from  these  wild  beasts  in  human  form  was 
so  terrible  and  dreadful  that  the  evangelists  could 
not  help  but  record  it  in  detail.  It  was  so  terrible 
and  dreadful,  that,  as  St.  Jerome  writes,  its  horrors 
shall  be  made  known  only  on  the  last  day.  *'0n 
that  night/'  says  St.  Chrysostom,  ''all  the  pits  of 
the  nether  world  were  opened,  and,  after  break- 
ing their  chains  and  the  bars  of  hell,  Lucifer  and 
all  his  satellites  rushed  to  Jerusalem,  entered  into 
and  took  possession  of  the  bodies  of  all  Jews  and 
pagans  to  pour  out  through  them  upon  Christ 
their  long  pent-up  hatred,  envy  and  anger,  their 
rage  and  all  their  fury." 

In  the  first  place,  these  hired  inferiors  tortured 
the  Redeemer,  now  branded  as  a  blasphemer,  by 
all  sorts  of  bodily  injury.  Some  struck  Him  in  the 
face  with  their  fists,  others  tore  His  face  with  their 
finger-nails,  others  pulled  Him  by  the  hair  in  order 
that  the  words  of  Isaias  the  prophet  might  be  ac- 
complished :  ' '  I  have  given  my  body  to  the  strikers 
and   my   cheeks  to   them  that   plucked   them."^ 

1  Is.,  1.,  6. 


CHRIST  BEFORE  CAIPHAS  101 

"But,"  exclaims  St.    Athanasius, '  *  Know  ye  not 
that  ye  are  merely  wounding  your  hands,  while 
striking  the  corner-stone  ? ' '     Then  they  heaped  con- 
tempt upon  Him.  Vile  and  shameless  beings  threw 
their  dirty  and  loathsome  spittle  in  His  Holy  Face, 
into  His  Sacred  ^Mouth ;  in  that  Holy  Face  before 
which  the  waves  of  the  sea  had  done  reverence  and 
from  which,  when  Christ  hung  upon  the  cross,  the 
sun  hid  its  rays ;  into  that  sacred  mouth  from  which 
only  words  of  blessing  and  of  love  had  ever  issued. 
It  was  usual  among  the  Jews  to  spit  upon  the  blas- 
phemer.    ^'1  have  not,'*  says  Christ  by  the  mouth 
of  Isaias,  ''turned  away  my  face  from  them  that 
spit  upon  me."     It  resembled  the  face  of  a  leper. 
They  further  loaded  Him  with  contumely  and  ridi- 
cule, by  calling  Him  vile  names,  hissing  at  Him 
and  caricaturing  Him.     The  climax  was  reached 
when,  blindfolding  Him,  they  buffeted  and  smote 
Him,   saying,   "Prophesy,   Christ,   who  is  it  that 
struck  Thee?     Who  struck  Thee  first?     Who  was 
the  second?  the  third?    Who  struck  Thee  now? 
Who  at  this  instant  spat  upon  Thee?"     It  would 
wound    religious    feeling    to    qualify,    in    proper 
words,  the  conduct  of  these  wretches  towards  the 
thrice  holy  God.     A  greater  and  more  abominable 
ridiculing    of   Divine   Majesty,    Omnipotence   and 
Omniscience  cannot  be  imagined.     It  was  indeed 
proper  first  to  veil  the   Face  in  Which  was  re- 
splendent the  glory  of  the  Father.    Ah!  Let  us 
beware    of    ridiculing    an    omnipresent    and    all- 
knowing  God,  lest  we  fall  victims  to   His  Jus- 
tice. 


102  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

The  Jews  covered  the  Face  of  the  Saviour. 
They  would  no  longer  look  upon  it.  They  shall  no 
more  look  upon  it.  Only  once  more  will  He  show 
it  to  them — on  the  day  of  judgment.  Oh  Divine 
Redeemer!  We  will  not  cover  Thy  Holy  Face! 
No,  we  will  look  upon  it!  Show  it  unto  us,  turn 
it  not  away,  show  it  unto  us  in  life,  in  death !  By 
all  the  sufferings  which  thou  didst  undergo  in  the 
house  of  Caiphas  on  the  part  of  Thy  unjust  judges 
and  Thy  bloodthirsty  jailers,  be  merciful  unto  us! 
We  pray  Thee  to  be  merciful  when  we,  one  day, 
shall  appear  before  Thy  judgment  seat.  Grant 
unto  us  that  we  may  behold  Thy  face,  the  Face  of 
the  Son  of  God,  for  all  eternity  I 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  THREE  DENIALS  OP  PETER. 

"Then  he  began  to  curse  and  to 
swear  that  he  knew  not  the  man. 
And  immediately  the  cock  crew. 
And  Peter  remembered  the  word  of 
Jesus  which  he  had  said:  Before  the 
cock  crow,  thou  wilt  deny  me  thrice. 
And  going  forth,  he  wept  bitterly. 
(St.  Matthew,  xxvi.,  74,  75.) 

At  the  seizure  of  Christ  the  eleven  apostles  beat 
a  hasty  retreat.  AYhen  Peter  recovered  from  his  first 
fright,  he  felt  as  one  who  had  awaked  from  a  pro- 
found sleep.  He  was  bewildered.  His  hopes  for 
a  temporal,  Messianic  Kingdom  and  for  a  prom- 
inent position  therein  seemed  now  entirely  futile. 
From  afar,  he  followed  the  procession,^  to  see,  as 
the  Gospel  mentions,  what  they  would  do  with 
his  beloved  blaster.  It  would,  it  is  true,  have  been 
more  prudent  not  to  follow.  The  more  distant  he 
remained  from  the  menials,  the  further  would  he 
be  removed  from  a  fall.  On  the  way  he  was  joined 
by  another  disciple  ^  of  the  Saviour,  who,  accord- 
ing to  most  commentators,  was  St.  John.^ 

1  St.  Matthew,  xxvi.,  18;  St.  Mark,  xiv.,  54;  St.  Luke, 
xxii.,  54. 

2  St.  John,  xviii.,  15,  16. 

3  See  Note  7. 

103 


104  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

Peter  and  John  noticed  that  they  led  Jesus 
through  a  portal  facing  the  street,  into  the  court- 
yard in  front  of  the  palace  of  Caiphas.  Whilst 
Peter  dared  not  enter,  John  asked  the  portress  to 
admit  him  and  she  politely  acceded  to  his  request. 
The  humility  of  John  in  describing  this,  is  truly 
touching.  It  ought  not,  he  says,  to  be  attributed 
to  his  superior  courage,  nor  to  his  greater  love  for 
Christ,  nor  to  his  more  intense  desire  of  defending 
the  Saviour  that  he  entered  the  court-yard,  whilst 
Peter  remained  in  the  street.  It  happened 
merely  because  he  was  better  acquainted  than 
Peter  in  the  house  of  the  high-priest.  Now  John 
was  better  acquainted  in  this  house  either  because 
in  times  past  he  had  sold  fish  there  or  becaase  one 
of  his  relatives  was  employed  by  Caiphas  or, 
again,  because  in  exchanging  his  small  possession 
in  Galilee  for  a  house  belonging  to  Caiphas  in 
the  neighborhood  of  Mount  Sion,  he  had  been 
brought  into  frequent  contact  with  the  latter.  It 
is  said  that  it  was  this  house  in  which  Christ 
instituted  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  to  which  the 
apostles  retired  on  the  day  of  the  Resurrection, 
in  which  they  received  the  Holy  Ghost  and  into 
which  St.  John  brought  the  ]\Iother  of  Jesus. 
According  to  this  tradition,  the  man  in  whose 
house  Christ  ate  the  Paschal  lamb  and  with  whom 
we  are  already  acquainted  would  have  been  merely 
a  lease-holder. 

When  John  arrived  in  the  court-yard,  he  missed 
Peter.  He  therefore  went  back  to  the  entrance 
and  spoke  kindly  to  the  portress,  whereupon  Peter 


THE  THEEE  DENIALS  .OF  PETER  105 

also  gained  admittance.  This,  undoubtedly,  was 
afterwards  the  cause  of  much  regret  to  St.  John, 
inasmuch  as  thereby  he  had  to  some  extent  brought 
about  the  occasion  for  Peter's  sin,  albeit  without 
knowledge  or  evil  intent.  It  behooves  a  person 
indeed  to  be  careful  before  introducing  any  one 
into  a  house  or  a  society  or  before  allowing  one's 
self  to  be  so  introduced,  and  this  applies  even  to 
the  apostles  and  their  successors.  Andrew  was 
certainly  more  fortunate  when  he  introduced 
his  brother  Peter  to  the  Saviour,  and  al^o  Peter 
himself,  when  he  led  John  to  the  sepulchre. 

The  other  disciple  went  into  the  house  and 
there  saw  the  Redeemer.  But  he  probably  left 
very  soon  to  tell  the  Blessed  Virgin  of  the  be- 
ginning of  the  trial.  Peter,  however,  remained 
in  the  court-yard  and  joined  the  servants  and 
menials  who,  owing  to  the  cold  weather,  had  started 
a  fire  and  were  conversing  about  the  recent  hap- 
penings. After  a  while,  they  all  sat  down  by 
the  fire.  Peter,  therefore,  was  ^^ outside/'  as  the 
Gospel  says,  in  relation  to  those  who  were  in  the 
palace;  he  was  ^'inside''  in  relation  to  those  who 
were  on  the  street  before  the  main  entrance.  It 
was  there,  in  the  court-yard,  that  Peter  thrice  de- 
nied his  Master.  According  to  the  narrative  of 
St.  John,  he  denied  Him  the  first  time  while  Christ 
stood  before  Annas.  The  other  two  denials  took 
place  whilst  Christ  was  before  Caiphas  and  the 
Sanhedrin.^ 

iSt.  Matthew,  xxvi.,  59,  69-75;  St.  Mark,  xiv.,  54,  66- 
72;  St.  Luke,  xxii.,  55-62;   St.  John,  xviii.,  17-18. 


106  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

Let  US  consider 
I.     The  story  of  the  denial, 
II.     The  causes  of  the  same  and 
III.     The  subsequent  contrition. 


The  first  denial,  which  occurred  toward  one 
o'clock,  soon  after  Peter's  entrance  into  the  court- 
yard, happened  in  the  following  manner.  One 
of  the  maid-servants  of  the  high-priest,  the  por- 
tress, who  had  admitted  Peter,  saw  him  sitting  at 
the  fire  among  the  men-servants.  She  had  prob- 
ably often  seen  him  in  the  Saviour's  company,  and 
his  features  were  not  unfamiliar  to  her.  As, 
moreover,  at  his  very  entrance,  he  made  himself 
conspicuous  by  his  uneasy  manner  and  his  timid 
and  embarrassed  look,  the  maid  grew  suspicious 
and,  impelled  by  curiosity,  she  asked  him,  *'Art 
not  thou  also  one  of  His  disciples?"  Peter  an- 
swered, **I  am  not."  But  she  replied,  ''Surely, 
thou  also  wast  with  Jesus  of  Nazareth  in  Galilee, 
that  notorious  and  rebellious  country."  Peter, 
however,  denied  it  and  said,  ''I  know  Him  not, 
neither  do  I  understand  what  you  really  mean. 
I  know  so  little  about  Him  that  I  understand 
nothing  of  what  you  say."  But  looking  at  him 
more  closely  in  the  glare  of  the  fire,  she  declared 
very  politely  to  those  who  stood  around,  "This 
man  was  also  with  Him."  And  Peter  denied 
Him  saying,  ''Woman,  I  know  Him  not."  Ah! 
Peter,    just   now   Annas   is   questioning    the    Re- 


THE  THREE  DENIALS  OF  PETER  107 

deemer  about  His  disciples.  What  is  He  to  an- 
swer? 

The  words  of  the  maid-servant  caused  much  em- 
barrassment to  Peter.  They  represented  him  to 
the  servants  as  an  adherent  of  Jesus.  In  terror 
and  fear  lest  these  servants  do  him  harm,  he  arose 
and  walked  towards  the  vestibule,  which  was  a 
gallery  supported  by  pillars  inside  of  the  main 
entrance.  Perhaps  he  intended  to  use  the  first 
opportunity  which  offered  to  reach  the  street. 
Had  he  only  done  so! 

Then  the  cock  crowed.  It  is  said  that  in  the 
Orient  the  first  crow  of  the  cock  is  heard  soon 
after  midnight.  But  if  even  that  were  not  so,  it 
ought  not  to  surprise  us  that  in  this  night  the 
cock  crowed  sooner  than  usual,  because  the  dread- 
ful noise  of  the  soldiers  had  awakened  from  sleep 
not  only  the  human  inhabitants  of  the  city,  but 
also  the  animals. 

Peter  meanwhile,  did  not  leave  the  vestibule. 
He  returned  ' '  that  he  might  see  the  end ' '  ^  and 
he  approached  the  fire.  There  another  maid-serv- 
ant, to  whom  his  conduct  had  seemed  strange, 
furnished  him  with  the  occasion  of  the  second 
denial.  Pointing  her  finger  at  Peter,  she  said  to 
the  surrounding  group,  *'This  man  also  was  with 
Jesus  of  Nazareth.  He  is  one  of  them."  Vexed 
at  the  maid  and  wishing  to  remove  all  suspicion 
by  acting  resolutely,  Peter  went  close  to  the  fire, 
right  among  the  servants  and  soldiers,  who  mean- 

iSt.  Matthew,  xxvi.,  68. 


108  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

time  had  risen  from  their  seats.  The  attention, 
however,  of  the  by-standers  had  been  aroused  by 
the  words  of  the  maid  and  they  asked  him,  ''Art 
not  thou  also  one  of  His  disciples?"  On  Peter's 
denial,  another  who  knew  him  better,  cried  out, 
"Surely  thou  art  one  of  them."  But  Peter  an- 
swered, ''0  man,  I  am  not."  And  with  an  oath 
he  declared,  "I  know  not  the  man."  And  thus 
it  is.  "Sin,"  says  St.  Gregory,^  "when  not  re- 
moved by  penance,  by  its  o\mi  weight  soon  draws 
down  to  another  sin." 

About  one  hour  afterwards,  or  soon  after  two 
o'clock,  the  third  denial  occurred.  "Of  a  truth," 
said  one  of  the  by-standers,  "this  man  was  also 
with  Him:  for  he  is  also  a  Galilean."  AYhen 
Peter  denied  it  and  acted  as  if  he  understood  him 
not,  they  all  shouted  together,  "Surely  thou  art 
also  one  of  them;  thou  art  a  Galilean;  thy  speech 
doth  discover  thee."  The  continued  denying  of 
Peter  angered  especially  one  of  the  high-priest's 
servants,  a  kinsman  of  Malchus,  whose  ear  Peter's 
sword  had  severed.  He  therefore  added:  "Did 
not  I  see  thee  in  the  garden  with  him?"  In 
terror  and  dismay  lest  this  servant  take  revenge, 
Peter  began  to  curse  and  to  swear  that  he  knew 
not  the  man  of  whom  they  spoke.  Then  the  cock 
crowed  a  second  time  and  the  guards  came  with 
Jesus  out  of  the  door  of  the  palace  to  lead  Him 
through  the  vestibule  into  a  prison  cell. 

Peter,  then,  had  really  thrice  denied  the  Sav- 

1  Moral  1.  25,  c.  9. 


THE  THREE  DENIALS  OF  PETER  109 

iour  before  the  cock  had  crowed  twice.  He  did 
not  reject  faith  itself,  but  he  sinned  against  the 
duty  of  professing  it.  In  addition  to  this  he 
cursed  and  perjured  himself.  There  were,  indeed, 
some  mitigating  circumstances  such  as  Peter's  ex- 
citement, his  fatigue  and  his  fear  of  revenge  on 
the  part  of  Malchus'  kinsman  and  of  the  enemies 
of  Christ.  The  sin,  however,  was  mortal  and  must 
have  grieved  exceedingly  the  Divine  Heart. 
For  it  was  Peter  who  denied  the  Lord;  Peter,  the 
witness  of  the  miracles  of  Jesus  Christ;  Peter, 
who  had  so  solemnly  declared,  '^Thou  art  Christ, 
the  Son  of  the  living  God;"  Peter,  who  a  few 
hours  before  had,  with  the  most  lively  faith,  re- 
ceived his  Kedeemer  under  the  sacramental  ap- 
pearances. Peter,  besides,  had  been  especially 
privileged  by  Christ.  It  was  to  him,  that  the 
Lord  had  said,  ''Thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this 
rock  I  will  build  my  Church."^  It  was  to  Peter 
that  He  had  addressed  the  words:  "I  will  give 
to  thee  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven. ' '  - 
Now  this  rock  is  shaking,  now  Peter  is  closing 
upon  himself  the  gates  of  heaven  which  he  is  to 
open  unto  others. 

To  what  language  did  this  apostle  give  utterance 
before  the  sworn  enemies  of  Christ  at  a  time  when, 
in  the  court-room,  the}^  were  busy  inciting  false 
^-itnesses  to  brand  Christ  as  a  deceiver  and  blas- 
phemer! How  opportune,  perhaps,  the  declara- 
tions of  the  apostle  were  to  the  Saviour's  enemies! 

iSt.  Matthew,  xvi.,   18. 
2  Ibid.,  xvi..  xix. 


110  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

How  quickly  it  was  spread  about  that  he  who  was 
known  to  be  His.  disciple  had  abandoned  Him  and 
would  have  no  more  to  do  with  Him. 

But  how  shall  we  explain  the  fall  of  the  apos- 
tle? We  can  readily  understand  that  Delilah 
overcame  Samson,  the  strong  hero,  for  he  had 
confided  his  secret  to  her.  Just  as  easily  we  can 
understand  the  victory  of  Judith  over  Holofernes. 
She  found  him  asleep  and  drunk,  and  with  a  pow- 
erful arm  she  wielded  a  mighty  sword.  But  that 
the  prying  question  of  a  maid-servant  could  van- 
quish the  prince  of  the  apostles  borders  on  the 
incredible.  Let  us  examine  the  causes  of  his  de- 
nial. 

II. 

To  begin  with  the  remote  causes,  the  excessive 
self-confidence  of  the  apostle  was  the  first.  Peter 
had  forgotten  what  the  Saviour  had  often  told 
him,  "Without  Me  ye  can  do  nothing."  He  be- 
lieved that  he  himself  possessed  the  power  neces- 
sary to  withstand  all  temptations  and  dangers. 
He  considered  himself  firmer  and  stronger  than 
the  others.  He  could,  therefore,  not  even  under- 
stand how  it  was  possible  that  anything  could 
make  his  faith  and  love  waver,  notwithstanding 
the  fact  that  the  Redeemer  had  warned  him  and 
had  very  distinctly  foretold  his  threefold  fall. 
At  the  last  Supper  Christ  had  said  to  His 
apostles,  ''Whither  I  go,  you  cannot  come." 
"Whither  goest  thou?"  asked  Peter.  "Whither 
I  go,"  replied  Jesus,  "thou  canst  not  follow  me 


THE  THREE  DENIALS  OF  PETER  111 

now,  but  thou  shalt  follow  hereafter."  Then 
Peter  said  to  Him,  ''Why  cannot  I  follow  Thee 
now?  I  will  lay  down  my  life  for  Thee.  Lord, 
I  am  ready  to  go  with  Thee  both  into  prison  and 
to  death. ' '  ^  Truly,  this  is  not  the  language  of 
humility.  **You  will  all,"  continued  the  Re- 
deemer, addressing  Himself  again  to  all  the  apos- 
tles, *'be  scandalized  in  my  regard  this  night; 
for  it  is  written,  I  will  strike  the  shepherd,  and 
the  sheep  shall  be  dispersed."  Whereupon  Peter 
replied,  "Although  all  shall  be  scandalized  in 
Thee,  yet  not  I."  Then  Jesus,  turning  directly 
to  Peter,  said  to  him,  *'Amen  I  say  to  thee,  to- 
day, even  in  this  night,  before  the  cock  crow  twice, 
thou  shalt  deny  me  thrice."  Peter  replied,  "Al- 
though I  should  die  together  with  Thee,  I  will  not 
deny  Thee."'  Nay,  Peter,  that  will  not  do. 
Pride  goeth  before  a  fall  and  God  resists  the 
proud. 

In  this  regard  those  Christians  resemble  Peter 
who  are  conceited  about  their  real  or  imaginary 
virtues,  who  find  pleasure  in  thoughts  of  self -adu- 
lation and  who,  therefore,  in  their  hearts  prefer 
themselves  to  others  whom  they  despise.  Those 
especially  resemble  Peter  who  waive  aside  all  ad- 
monitions and  counsels  of  parents  and  of  superi- 
ors and  who,  with  proud  disdain,  care  naught  for 
them.  They  have  all  set  their  foot  upon  the  way 
that  leads  to  a  denial  of  faith. 

The  other  more  remote  cause  of  Peter's  fall  was 

1  St.  John,  xiii.,  33,  36-38 ;  St.  Luke,  xxii.,  33,  34. 

2  St.  Matthew,  xxvi.,  31-35;  St.  Mark,  xiv.,  27-31. 


112  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

his  neglect  of  praye7\  This  cause  is  most  inti- 
mately connected  with  the  preceding  one.  Whoso- 
ever confides  too  much  in  himself  cannot  easily  be 
convinced  of  the  necessity  of  prayer.  Christ  had 
urged  Peter  in  definite  terms  to  watch  and  to  pray 
because  otherwise  he  could  not  help  but  fall  into 
approaching  temptations.  This  was  laying  upon 
him  a  serious  obligation.  It  is  true,  as  we  have 
already  considered,  that  Peter's  negligence  in 
prayer  was  not  a  grievous  sin  and,  therefore, 
would  not  of  itself,  without  the  other  concurrent 
causes,  have  entailed  his  sad  fall.  Nevertheless, 
neglect  of  prayer,  lukewarmness  in  its  perform- 
ance and  the  omission  of  prescribed  prayers,  are 
always  a  step  in  advance  on  the  way  to  perdition. 
A  man  without  prayer  is  like  a  soldier  without 
weapons,  and  nights  not  begun  with  a  good  even- 
ing prayer  are  often  fraught  with  danger  to  the 
soul. 

The  proximate  cause  was  the  sinful  occasion  to 
which  Peter  exposed  himself.  Why  did  he  asso- 
ciate with  Christ's  enemies,  with  the  impious? 
Why  did  he  talk  and  chat  with  them?  The  Sav- 
iour had  not  bid  him  to  do  so.  Neither  was  it 
zeal  for  souls  or  for  Christ's  glory  that  led  him 
to  mingle  with  the  servants  and  guards.  In  the 
beginning  indeed,  this  was  not  a  sin.  It  was  the 
result  of  thoughtlessness  and  imprudence.  In 
sadness  and  trouble,  the  disciple  entirely  forgot  the 
admonition  of  the  Master.  For  this  reason,  we 
must  not  charge  the  apostle  with  having  rushed 
of  his  own  free  will  into  a  sinful  occasion,  as  far 


THE  THREE  DENIALS  OF  PETER  113 

as  the  first  denial  is  concerned.  Weakened  by 
pride  and  Inkewarmness,  he  fell  into  an  unfore- 
seen temptation,  to  overcome  which,  however,  the 
grace  of  God  was  at  his  command.  But  he  failed 
to  co-operate  with  it.  But  why  did  Peter  return 
to  the  godless,  after  his  sad  experience,  and  after 
having  started  to  leave  them?  AA^hy  did  he  re- 
main in  surroundings  which  he  knew  to  be  dan- 
gerous? After  that,  a  maid-servant  sufficed  to 
make  him  deny  his  faith  a  second  time,  turn  per- 
jurer and  curse  and  execrate  himself. 

This  fall  of  the  prince  of  the  apostles  is  a  most 
forcible  sermon  on  the  necessity  of  carefully 
avoiding  sinful  occasions.  The  company  of  the 
godless  shook  the  powerful  rock  and  uprooted  the 
mighty  cedar  of  Lebanon.  ''In  the  presence  of 
the  servants  of  the  high-priests,'*  writes  vener- 
able Bede,i  ''Peter  denied  knowing  Him  as 
man  whom  he  had  confessed  to  be  the  Son  of  God 
when  among  his  fellow-apostles."  What  then 
should  they  not  fear  who,  without  necessity,  are 
continually  mingling  with  outsiders  and  enemies 
of  the  faith,  yea  who  even  prefer  to  choose  their 
friends  from  among  them.  They  are  indeed  Cath- 
olics who  bear  a  close  resemblance  to  the  reed,  as 
far  as  their  firmness  in  the  faith  is  concerned. 
What  have  they  not  to  fear  who  join  societies 
in  which  Jews  and  Gentiles,  Protestants  and  Cath- 
olics walk  together  arm  in  arm.  Finally  how  dan- 
gerous it  is  to  the  faith,  or  at  the  very  least,  to 

1  In  Marc.  1,  4,  c  14  in  fine. 
8 


114  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

its  profession  and  to  a  Christian  life  in  accord- 
ance with  it,  to  obligate  one's  self  in  contracting 
matrimony  to  associate  most  intimately,  as  long 
as  life  lasts,  with  one  outside  the  faith,  with  an 
apostate  Catholic  or  with  a  Free-mason.  Un- 
doubtedly, God  at  times  works  miracles  of  mercy ; 
some  mixed  marriages  have  been  the  occasion  of 
splendid  conversions  and,  in  particular  cases,  such 
marriages  have  brought  forth  not  merely  good 
Christians  but  even  heroes  of  the  faith.  Still, 
these  cases  are  and  always  will  be  exceptions. 
Whoever  is  about  to  take  such  a  step,  would  act 
presumptuously  were  he  to  expect  such  a  miracle 
from  God.  On  the  other  hand,  we  may  count 
thousands  of  persons  of  both  sexes  who  once  were 
pious,  full  of  faith  and  well  grounded  in  their  re- 
ligion, but  who,  after  contracting  mixed  marriages, 
gradually  became  negligent  of  their  spiritual  du- 
ties, fell  deeper  and  deeper,  until  finally  they  pub- 
lically  joined  the  number  of  infidels  or  non-Cath- 
olics. Ah !  how  sad  and  woeful  and  terrible  is  the 
death,  the  funeral  and  burial  of  Catholics  who  in 
one  or  other  of  the  above  mentioned  ways  have 
fallen  away  from  the  faith.  Have  we  not  been 
witnesses  of  it  very  recently?  Instead  of  the  De 
Profundis  we  heard  the  muffled  sound  of  Turkish 
drums;  instead  of  the  Miserere,  a  melancholy 
dirge;  instead  of  the  Requiem,  an  apotheosis  de- 
livered by  a  Protestant  preacher;  instead  of  the 
Libera,  a  sentimental  funeral  song,  rendered  by  a 
vocal  chorus  just  returning  from  a  masked  ball. 
Peter  frequented  bad  company  and  denied  his 


THE  THREE  DENIALS  OF  PETER  115 

faith.  Now,  if  every  sinful  occasion  is  danger- 
ous to  the  soul  and  therefore  to  be  shunned,  it  is 
much  more  necessary  to  avoid  the  occasion  of  im- 
purity, because  man  is  naturally  more  inclined 
to  this  vice  than  to  any  other.  The  avoidance  of 
dangers  leading  to  impurity  is  even  a  most  im- 
portant factor  in  preserving  the  faith.  For  im- 
purity is  a  wide  roadway  leading  to  infidelity. 
Oh,  Christian  youth,  whose  soul  is  still  resplendent 
in  its  first  innocence,  who  still  treadest  the  path 
of  purity  and  chastity,  it  needs  not  a  wild  beast 
to  tear  the  garb  of  thine  innocence,  it  needs  not 
a  cyclone  to  cast  thee  down !  No ;  one  woman  can 
accomplish  it.  Christian  man,  who  livest  faith- 
fully according  to  thy  holy  faith  and  rulest  thy 
family  with  exemplary  conscientiousness,  it  needs 
not  a  band  of  robbers  to  destroy  the  happiness  of 
thy  home;  it  requires  not  the  sophistical  argu- 
ments of  a  teacher  of  errors  nor  of  an  impious 
philosopher  to  make  of  thee  a  fool,  a  maniac,  an 
unbeliever.  One  woman  can  accomplish  it.  And 
thou,  venerable  old  man  with  silvery  hair,  thou 
who  hast  to  thy  credit  a  long  life  filled  with  virtue 
and  merit, — remember  Solomon!  Thou  hast  not 
yet  perfect  assurance  of  dying  in  the  grace  and 
charity  of  God.  And  hell  need  not  arise  from  its 
depths  to  plunge  thee  into  eternal  perdition.  One 
woman  can  accomplish  it.  There  is  only  one 
woman,  one  maid  whom  we  may  approach  with- 
out fear  and  full  of  confidence.  It  is  the  hand- 
maid of  the  Lord,  the  always  pure  and  immacu- 
late Virgin  Mary.     This  strong  Woman  has  even 


116  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

the  power  to  uplift  those  who  have  fallen  and  to 
shield  us  all  from  the  fall. 

But  let  us  return  to  Peter.  We  have  consid- 
ered the  causes  of  his  denial.  Let  us  now  con- 
sider the  sorrow  he  felt  for  it. 

III. 

The  enemies  of  Christ  were  already  rejoicing 
at  having  won  over  a  second  Judas  in  the  person 
of  Peter.  Hell  was  glad  that  the  foundation  upon 
which  the  Church  was  to  be  built  was  already- 
wrecked.  Hell  triumphed  already  over  the  down- 
fall and  ruin  of  the  whole  edifice.  Then  the  cock 
crowed,  and  the  menials  led  the  Saviour  through 
the  court-yard  past  Peter.  The  Lord  turned  and 
looked  at  him.  At  once  Peter  remembered  the 
word  spoken  to  him  by  the  Redeemer,  "Before 
the  cock  crow  twice,  thou  shalt  deny  me  thrice." 
And  going  out,  he  wept  bitterly. 

We  may  here  clearly  distinguish  a  two-fold 
grace:  an  exterior  and  an  interior  grace.  The 
crow  of  the  cock  was  to  remind  the  disciple  of  the 
Saviour's  warnings  as  well  as  of  his  own  pre- 
sumption and  unfaithfulness,  whilst  the  look  of 
grace  was  to  touch  the  disciple's  eye  and  his  heart 
and  wound  his  soul  in  its  inmost  depths.  Mean- 
time, as  the  Gospel  intimates,  Peter  understood 
the  cock's  crow  only  after  receiving  the  inward 
grace.  The  heavenly  sun  alone  can  melt  the  ice 
crust  that  encompasses  the  heart  of  the  sinner. 

In  the  midst,  therefore,  of  His  sufferings  and 
overwhelmed    with    sorrows,    the    Redeemer    still 


THE  THREE  DENIALS  OF  PETER  117 

thinks  of  his  ungrateful  and  unhappy  apostle  and 
does  everything  to  convert  him.  He  could  not 
well  speak  to  him.  But  He  gave  him  one  look, 
turning  toward  him  a  face  disfigured,  bespewn  and 
bloody,  but  divine  and  full  of  heavenly  mildness. 
And  Peter  going  forth  wept  bitterly.  If  even  the 
eye  of  a  mother  has  power  to  conquer  hearts,  St. 
Jerome  rightly  thinks  that  it  was  ^'impossible  for 
him  to  remain  in  the  darkness  of  denial,  who  had 
gazed  upon  the  light  of  the  world. ' '  ^ 

Let  us  now  take  notice  of  the  qualities  of  this 
sorrow.  It  was  a  quick,  an  instantaneous  contri- 
tion. The  reason  why  many  a  sinner  lives  on 
and  dies  in  sin  is  not  to  be  found  in  a  lack  of  ex- 
terior and  interior  graces.  God  has  spoken  to  him 
often  through  the  voice  of  parents,  of  priests,  of 
missionary  fathers,  of  good  friends  and  by  means 
of  various  accidents.  God  has  looked  into  his 
heart,  urged  and  encouraged  him  to  conversion 
by  inner  lights  and  impulses.  But  the  sinner 
spurned  the  grace  and  put  off  repentance  to  a  fu- 
ture time,  to  the  hour  of  death. 

Peter,  the  Apostle,  did  not  act  thus.  To  receive 
the  grace  and  to  follow  it  were  on  his  part  simul- 
taneous acts.  The  Redeemer  had  scarcely  looked 
at  him,  when  he  began  to  shed  tears. 

His  contrition  was  sincere  and  serious.  He 
went  forth  and  hid  himself  until  evening  in  a  cav- 
ern, as  the  legend  has  it,  in  order  to  bewail  his 
sin.     He  also  repaired  the  scandal  he  had  given. 

1  In  Matth.  26,  75.     Migne  26,  col.  203. 


118  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

He  recanted  his  error.  On  the  day  of  Pentecost, 
before  thousands  of  people,  before  the  whole  city, 
before  the  whole  world  in  fact,  he  loudly  pro- 
claimed that  he  had  known  the  Risen  One.  Be- 
sides, he  rendered  more  than  sufficient  compensa- 
tion. He  had  strengthened  the  enemies  of  Christ 
in  their  unbelief.  He  therefore  hastened  from 
town  to  town,  from  country  to  country  to  preach 
the  doctrine  of  the  Crucified,  and  to  win  over  all 
men  to  the  faith  of  Christ  Risen.  Now,  indeed, 
after  having  come  to  a  knowledge  of  his  own  weak- 
ness and  after  confessing  so  humbly,  ''Lord,  thou 
knowest  all  things:  thou  knowest  that  I  love 
thee  "  ^  he  became  the  proper  man  to  confirm  in 
the  faith  even  his  brethren.  Now,  taught  by  sad 
experience,  he  had  learned  to  pity  poor  sinners 
and  was  able  to  lead  them  to  the  love  of  Jesus 
Christ.  To  strike  with  the  sword  and  to  cut  off 
people's  ears  has  never  converted  anybody.  The 
case  of  Malchus  illustrates  this. 

Finally  Peter's  contrition  was  lasting.  Tradi- 
tion tells  us  that  at  every  crow  of  the  cock  the 
tears  broke  forth  anew  and  rushed  down  the  fur- 
rows on  his  manly  face.  Eventually  Peter  went 
to  Rome.  There,  shedding  his  blood  in  acknowl- 
edging Christ,  he  was  finally  to  blot  out  the  fault 
which  by  his  tears  he  had  striven  to  wash  away 
during  life.  Now  that  he  had  humility,  he  could 
keep  the  promise,  which  he  had,  in  proud  self- 
elation,  once  made  to  his  Master,  *'I  am  ready  to 

1  St.  John,  xxi.,   17. 


THE  THREE  DENIALS  OF  PETER  119 

go  with  Thee  to  death."  With  joy  and  exultation 
he  greets  the  holy  Cross  and  presses  it  lovingly 
to  his  bosom;  rejoicing  and  triumphant,  he  extends 
his  arms  upon  it.  The  honor,  however,  of  dying 
in  the  same  manner  as  his  Master  he  humbly  de- 
clines, in  consideration  of  his  past  sin. 

Ah!   how   good   and  loving   Our  Redeemer  is! 
Why  should  we  fear  or  tremble  on  account  of  our 
sins?     How   carefully   He   seeks   the   lost   sheep! 
How  joyfully   He   takes   it  in   His   arms!     How 
generous  Our  Saviour  is  to  those  who  sincerely 
turn  to  Him,  no  matter  how  great  and  deplorable 
their  fall  may  have  been !     Christ  harbored  no  ani- 
mosity  against   penitent   Peter.     He   recalled   no 
promise  made  to   Him.     He  kept  every  promise 
even  to  the  minutest  detail.     He  made  Peter  the 
foundation  of  His  Church  and  raised  him  above 
all  the  other   apostles.     He  even  established  for 
him  a  throne  in  the  capital  city  of  the  world. 
He  gave  him  a  kingdom  over  which  the  sun  should 
never  set.     He   adorned  him  with  the   crown   of 
martyrdom,  with  the  crown  of  eternal  life.     For 
our  benefit,  however.   He  gave  him  the  keys  of 
heaven  in  order  that  through  his  mediation  not 
only  the  innocent  but  all  penitent  sinners  might 
enter  therein. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  DEATH  OF  THE  TRAITOR 

*'  And  casting  down  the  pieces  of 
silver  in  the  temple,  he  departed; 
and  went  and  hanged  himself." 

(St.   Matthew,   xxvii.,    5.) 

After  this  night  of  suffering,  so  full  of  sorrows 
and  of  humiliations,  Christ  had  a  second  hearing 
before  Caiphas  and  the  Council,  the  members  of 
which — seventy-one  in  number — ^were  all  pres- 
ent with  the  possible  exception  of  Nicodemus  and 
of  Joseph  of  Arimathea.  Many  of  them  had  taken 
but  little  rest  and  were  still  fatigued  from  the 
night's  vigils.  But  because  the  time  was  em- 
ployed in  persecuting  the  Son  of  God,  they  had 
willingly  sacrificed  their  sleep.  The  session  of  the 
great  Council  again  took  place  in  the  mansion  of 
Caiphas.  Since  he  had  lost  the  power  of  adjudi- 
cating criminal  cases,  the  court-room  proper,  situ- 
ated in  the  south-western  corner  of  the  inner  court 
of  the  temple,  was  no  longer  used.  If,  as  some 
think,  Christ  had  been  led  from  the  house  of 
Caiphas  first  to  the  court  of  the  temple  and  then 
to  Pilate,  St.  John,  who  mentions  the  walk  to 
Annas,  would  have  filled  out  his  narrative  by 
mentioning  this  also,  as  none  of  the  goings  and 

120 


THE  DEATH  OF  THE  TRAITOR  121 

comings  to  which  Christ  submitted  out  of  love 
for  us,  was  to  be  abandoned  to  oblivion. 

The  object  of  this  assembly  was,  according  to 
Holy  Writ,  ''that  they  might  put  Him  to 
death. "  ^  It  was  not,  then,  convened  for  the  pur- 
pose of  a  just  inquiry,  or  of  a  second  conscien- 
tious examination  of  witnesses,  but  in  order  to 
legitimize  through  the  grand  Council,  the  only 
rightful  authority,  the  death-decree  pronounced 
at  an  illegal  time  and,  as  seems  probable,  by  the 
minor  Council  only  and  thus  to  preserve  before 
the  public  the  appearance  of  a  legitimate  transac- 
tion. Then  they  deliberated  as  to  the  most  feas- 
ible means  of  inducing  Pilate  to  approve  and  exe- 
cute the  judgment.  It  appeared  advisable  to 
drop  the  accusation  of  blasphemy  as  likely  to  make 
little  impression  on  the  unbelieving  pagan,  and,  in 
its  stead,  to  urge  the  plea  of  treason.  The  judges, 
therefore,  asked,  ''If  thou  be  the  Christ,  tell 
us, "  2  which  according  to  their  idea,  meant,  ' '  If 
thou  be  that  descendant  of  David,  who,  according 
to  the  promise,  is  to  re-establish  the  kingdom  and 
to  rule  as  king,  temporal  king,  of  course,  then  tell 
us."  They  pretended  to  be  ready  for  an  impar- 
tial exahiination  of  His  legitimate  claims,  but  their 
purpose  was  to  gather  up  any  expression  of  His 
which  might  compromise  Him  before  the  tribunal 
of  the  pagan.  Jesus,  understanding  this  plan, 
advanced  no  more  explanations.  "If  I  shall  tell 
you,''  said  He,  "you  will  not  believe  me.    And 

1  St.  Matthew,  xxvii.,  1. 

2  St.  Luke,  xxii.,  66-71. 


122  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

if  I  shall  also  ask  you — i.  e.,  try,  by  questions, 
to  induce  you  to  acknowledge  the  truth — you  will 
not  answer  me."  He  alluded  to  the  question  He 
had  put  them  three  days  before,  relating  to  the 
baptism  of  John,  which  question  they  had  not 
yet  answered  him.  "But,"  He  continues  with 
Divine  authority,  "although  my  death  be  agreed 
upon,  although  the  Son  of  Man,  at  your  mercy, 
now  waives  His  defense,  from  now  on,  from  the 
time  of  His  death,  caused  by  you.  He  shall  sit  on 
the  right  hand  of  God  and  then  he  shall  be  your 
'Judge." 

Thus,  in  a  few  words,  Christ  tore  aside  the  veil 
of  deceit  woven  by  His  enemies,  and,  while  thun- 
dering into  their  souls  a  last  warning.  He  at  once 
brought  back  the  discourse  to  the  main  question, 
to  the  subject  of  His  Divinity.  Together  they  all 
interrupted  Him  by  exclaiming,  "Art  thou  then 
the  Son  of  God?"  He  replied,  "You  say,  that 
I  am."  In  these  words,  testimony  of  the  Divinity 
of  Christ  is  given  to  the  entire  great  Council,  and 
it  was  clearly  established,  in  these  repeated  hear- 
ings, what  really  was  the  sole  cause  of  the  Sav- 
iour's condemnation  and  of  His  death.  The 
judges  then  said,  "What  need  we  any  farther 
testimony?  For  we  ourselves  have  heard  it  from 
his  own  mouth."  This  closed  the  hearing  before 
the  grand  Council  and  the  condemnation  was  not 
renewed.  The  trial  must  now  begin  before  the 
Roman  governor. 

Whilst  Christ  was  being  led  to  Pilate,  and  whilst 
He  was  before  him,  one  of  the  principal  person- 


THE  DEATH  OF  THE  TRAITOR  123 

ages  disappeared  forever  from  the  scene.  *' Ju- 
das," says  Holy  Writ,  "who  betrayed  Him,  see- 
ing that  He  was  condemned;  repenting  himself, 
brought  back  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver  to  the 
chief-priests  and  ancients,  saying:  I  have  sinned 
in  betraying  innocent  blood.  But  they  said: 
What  is  that  to  us?  look  thou  to  it.  And  casting 
down  the  pieces  of  silver  in  the  temple,  he  departed 
and  went  and  hanged  himself  with  a  halter."  As 
the  high-priests  did  not  deem  it  proper  that  the 
money,  the  price  of  blood,  should  be  deposited  in 
the  temple,  they  bought  with  it  a  potter's  field 
for  the  sepulture  of  pagans.  Thus  the  prophecy 
of  Jeremias  was  fulfilled.^ 

There    are    three    scenes,   three   pictures   which 
here  merit  our  attention.     They  represent 
I.     Judas  penitent, 

II.     The  heartless  and  hypocritical  high-priest 
and 

III.     The  despair  and  the  death  of  the  disciple. 


There  is  no  doubt  that  Judas  was  sorry  for  his 
treason.  Holy  Writ  tells  us  that  he  repented  him- 
self. However,  let  us  examine  both  the  occasion 
and  the  quality  of  this  repentance. 

The  occasion  leading  Judas  to  repentance  was 
the  sight  of  the  terrible  effects,  entirely  unforeseen, 
of  his  treason.  **  Judas  who  betrayed  Him,  seeing 
that  He  was  condemned,  repenting  himself."    It 

iSt.  Matthew,  xxvii.,  3-10. 


V 


124  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

appears  clearly  from  the  Scriptures  that  when 
Judas  betrayed  the  Lord,  he  neither  foresaw  nor 
intended  the  awful  results  that  ensued.  He  had 
no  idea  that  his  act  would  cause  the  Lord  such 
terrible  outrages  and  the  loss  of  life.  He  had 
often  witnessed  how  Christ  walked  unharmed 
through  the  midst  of  His  enemies  who  sought  to 
kill  Him,  how  He  often  found  ways  and  means 
to  escape  them.  He  hoped  that  now  He  would 
escape  in  like  manner.  It  will  not  harm  the  Lord 
much,  thought  he,  at  most  it  may  cause  Him  a 
little  annoyance  and  I  shall  have  thirty  pieces 
of  silver  more.  Now  he  sees  how  everything 
turns  out  differently.  He  beholds  how  Christ  is 
dragged  from  one  high-priest  to  another.  He 
witnesses  the  terrors  of  the  passion.  He  hears 
Him  condemned  to  death  in  the  house  of  Caiphas. 
The  sight  of  the  results  of  his  deed  makes  its 
weighty  import  clear  to  him.  "He  repents  him^ 
self.''  He  would  fain  have  his  deed  undone;  he 
runs  after  the  high-priests  on  the  way  to  Pilate 
to  cancel  the  abominable  contract;  filled  with 
loathsome  disgust,  he  throws  the  money  down  in 
the  temple  at  the  feet  of  the  priests  offering  the 
morning  sacrifice. 

From  this  incident  we  may  draw  a  two-fold  les- 
son. "When  Satan  tempts  us  to  grievous  sin,  he 
shows  us  some  good  or  other  to  be  had  by  com- 
mitting it.  To  one  he  offers  money,  to  another 
vain  honor,  to  another  sensual  pleasure,  and  he 
would  make  us  believe  that,  if  we  obtained  this 
one  good,  our  happiness  would  be  complete.     All 


THE  DEATH  OF  THE  TRAITOR  125 

that,  however,  is  vain  deception.  As  soon  as  the 
sin  is  committed,  we  experience  what  Judas  ex- 
perienced and  what  our  first  parents  experienced 
long  before.  Our  eyes  are  opened.  It  is  only  by 
resisting  temptation  and  by  despising  the  seeming 
goods  of  earth  that  we  secure  to  ourselves  true 
happiness. 

We  should,  furthermore,  carefully  avoid  the 
sin  of  scandal,  not  only  in  serious  things  but  also 
in  minor  matters.  Even  if  harm  to  one's  neigh- 
bor is  neither  intended  nor  foreseen,  who  can  de- 
termine results?  The  bad  example  given  to  one's 
neighbor  in  small  matters  only  and  in  the  commis- 
sion of  merely  venial  sin,  may  be  to  him  the  first 
link  in  a  long  chain  of  serious  errors. 

Let  us  now  see  whether  the  quality  of  the  sor- 
row of  Judas  was  such  that,  on  its  account,  his  sin 
could  be  forgiven.  For  that  purpose,  it  was  re- 
quired in  the  first  place  that  his  contrition  be  per- 
fect, as  the  sacrament  of  penance  was  not  yet  es- 
tablished. But  the  contrition  of  Judas  was,  at 
most,  imperfect  only.  Judas  bewailed  his  sin  be- 
cause he  had  shed  innocent  blood,  that  is  because 
of  its  own  atrocity.  Had  he  considered  this  atroc- 
ity of  his  sin  not  only  with  the  eyes  of  reason,  but 
also  with  the  eyes  of  faith,  his  sorrow  would  have 
been  supernatural,  it  is  true,  but  nevertheless  only 
imperfect  and  not  sufficient  for  justification. 
However,  according  to  the  commentators  of  Scrip- 
ture, the  sorrow  of  Judas  lacked  every  reference 
to  God;  he  measured  the  enormity  of  his  treason 
by  its  natural,  sad  results  only  and  from  a  purely 


126  HISTOKY  OF  THE  PASSION 

natural  point  of  view,  and  thus  it  was  solely  a 
natural  sorrow.  This  appears  more  credible  from 
the  fact  that  the  apostle,  as  we  have  seen  before, 
had  lost  all  faith  in  the  divinity  of  Christ.  He 
saw  in  Christ  nothing  more  than  a  man. 

Furthermore,  to  render  the  forgiveness  of  sin 
possible,  the  hope  of  pardon  must  be  united  with 
contrition.  But  Judas  despaired.  Finally,  to 
obtain  pardon,  he  should  have  had  the  earnest 
determination  to  make  reparation  and  to  undo, 
as  far  as  possible,  the  unhappy  results  of  his 
treachery.  Freely  and  with  full  deliberation,  he 
had  gone  to  the  high-priests  and  had  asked  them, 
''What  will  you  give  me  and  I  will  deliver  him 
unto  you?"  It  was,  then,  not  enough  to  cast 
the  thirty  pieces  of  silver  at  their  feet.  He  should 
have  gone  to  the  house  of  Pilate,  he  should  have 
forced  his  way  through  the  crowd  to  the  very  seat 
of  the  judge,  he  should  there  publicly  and  sol- 
emnly have  sworn  that  Christ  was  the  victim  of 
intrigue  and  of  foul  calumny.  Instead  of  all  that, 
he  took  his  departure. 

Oh,  that  Catholics  would  never  approach  the 
tribunal  of  Penance  with  the  contrition  of  a  Judas ! 
The  betrayer  of  innocence  affirms  that  he  is  sorry 
for  his  abominable  deed.  But  is  not  the  disgrace 
T/hich  he  brought  upon  himself  and  others  the 
only  motive  for  his  sorrow?  Whilst  trembling 
in  his  whole  body,  many  a  drunkard,  many  a 
libertine  affirms  his  compunction  for  past  excesses. 
A  shattered  nervous  system,  a  squandered  for- 
tune, the  unhappiness  wrought  in  a  family  may 


THE  DEATH  OF  THE  TRAITOR  127 

be  the  only  motive  of  such  sorrow.  Many  parents 
bewail,  with  bitter  tears,  the  sad  effects  of  a  mis- 
guided education  of  their  children.  Would  that 
they  deplored  their  own  negligence  by  which  they 
offended  God  grievously.  Nor  should  it  be  for- 
gotten that,  to  be  reconciled  to  God,  one  must 
necessarily  have  the  will  to  repair  any  damage 
done  to  the  honor,  to  the  property,  to  the  bodily 
health  and  to  the  soul  of  one's  neighbor. 

We  shall  now  examine  the  second  picture.  It 
shows  us  the  heartless  and  at  the  same  time  hypo- 
critical high-priests. 

II. 

As  we  have  already  remarked,  Judas,  in  his 
despair,  rushed  after  the  high-priests,  in  order 
that,  by  returning  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver,  he 
might  cancel  the  contract  made  with  them  and 
liberate  the  Saviour.  How  great  was  his  disap- 
pointment! In  his  boundless  sorrow  he  finds  no 
sympathy  among  his  old  friends.  They  cast  him 
aside  with  contempt  as  they  would  a  dog.  Not 
a  word  of  pity,  not  a  word  of  solace.  Nothing 
but  the  contemptuous  heartless  answer,  '*What  is 
that  to  us?  Look  you  to  it."  O  ye  obdurate 
miscreants!  You  would  still  pretend  to  be  inno- 
cent. What  is  it  to  us  if  thou  hast  committed  a 
crime?  Listen  to  St.  Chrysostom:  *'You  pur- 
posely hide  your  eyes  behind  a  veil  of  feigned  igno- 
rance." You  have  hired  the  traitor;  you  will  an- 
swer for  it  before  the  judgment  seat  of  God. 

Many  a  deceived  person  can  complain  of  similar 


128  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

heartless  treatment.  Before  the  deed  they  hear 
naught  but  great  promises.  Afterwards  they  are 
told,  ^'What  is  that  to  me?  Look  you  to  it." 
And  when  driven  to  extremities,  the  culprit  will 
even  perjure  himself  in  court  and  swear  that  he 
had  nothing  to  do  with  the  case.  Many  a  free- 
thinker, who  formerly  was  a  Catholic,  may  ex- 
perience like  heartlessness.  "Call  a  priest,"  ex- 
claimed Voltaire  on  his  death-bed,  ''I  want  to 
confess."  "What  is  that  to  us?  Look  you  to 
it,"  was  the  answer  of  impious  friends.  The 
same  harshness  has  been  shown  many  a  Catholic 
wife.  The  pact  was  signed  and  a  solemn  promise 
given  that  the  Catholic  party  should  enjoy  the  free 
and  untrammeled  practice  of  religion  and  that  the 
children  of  either  sex  should  be  reared  in  the  Cath- 
olic faith.  But  when  it  comes  to  putting  into  prac- 
tice what  has  been  promised,  the  ProtLstant  too 
often  says,  "What  is  that  to  me?  Locj:  you  to  it." 
It  happens  at  times  that  men  also  meet  with  re- 
buffs of  the  same  sort.  When  they  sought  ad- 
mission to  societies  forbidden  by  Holy  Churcli, 
they  asked,  "What  will  you  give  me,  and  I  will 
deliver  unto  you  my  Catholic  faith,  I  will  abandon 
my  Church?  "  The  bargain  was  made.  But 
when  it  comes  to  dying,  the  fellow  lodge-members 
and,  what  appears  almost  impossible,  even  the 
Catholic  wife,  see  to  it  that  the  sacraments  be  not 
administered,  that  the  body  be  interred  in  uncon- 
secrated  ground,  that  the  soul  go  to  hell.  The 
impious  wife  sacrifices  the  salvation  of  her  hus- 
band in  order  not  to  lose  the  life-insurance  money. 


THE  DEATH  OF  THE  TRAITOR  129 

But  I  erred;  allow  me  to  correct  myself.  The 
unfortunate  man  did  not  say  to  the  lodge,  **What 
will  you  give  me?"  but  "what  shall  I  give 
you?  "  for  he  gets  not  even  a  cent  of  all  this 
price  of  blood.  In  many  cases  he  had  to  save  and 
scrape  to  have  his  assessments  ready  for  the  lodge, 
he  had  to  put  up  with  hard  labor  and  privation 
to  damn  his  soul.  Now  the  widow  reaps  the  bene- 
fit and  already  entertains  the  fond  hope  of  a  better 
chance  of  marriage.  Judas,  the  traitor,  was  better 
off  in  one  respect.  He,  at  least,  got  his  money. 
**What  is  that  to  us?  Look  you  to  it."  Ah!  how 
the  devils  in  hell  will,  for  all  eternity,  with  grin- 
ning sneers,  hiss  these  words  at  the  damned  soul, 
when  it  attempts  to  make  them  responsible  for  the 
sad  lot  into  which  they  have  plunged  it. 

The  high-priests  and  pharisees  were  heartless; 
they  were  hypocritical  at  the  same  time.  The 
treasury  of  the  temple  was  not  too  sacred  to  fur- 
nish the  price  of  the  treason.  The  bargain  with 
Judas  appeared  neither  unprincipled  nor  disgrace- 
ful. But  to  have  driven  the  poor  disciple  into 
despair,  what  was  that  to  them?  To  restore  the 
money  to  the  temple,  no,  that  would  never  do. 
The  temple  was  too  sacred.  *'It  is  not  lawful  to 
put  it  into  the  corbona,"  they  said.  That  was  a 
lie.  Only  the  money  by  lechery  was  debarred !  ^ 
The  greatest  scoundrels  swallow  camels.  Then 
they  talk  of  conscience,  play  the  hypocrites  and 
strain  at  gnats. 

iDeut.,  xxiii.,  18. 


130  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

Those  hypocritical  pharisees  and  priests  find 
their  exact  counterparts  in  many  free-masons  of 
to-day.  To  lure  Catholic  men  to  perjury,  to 
apostasy,  to  plunge  them  into  the  greatest  of  all 
misfortunes,  causes  them  no  pangs  of  conscience. 
But  the  appearance  of  religion  must  be  preserved. 
Hence  they  carry  the  apron  of  "humanity"  and 
* '  philanthropy ' ' !  From  one  end  of  the  year  to 
the  other,  they  never  appear  in  church ;  they  never 
hear  mass,  but  they  open  and  close  their  meetings 
with  sentimental  prayers  to  the  ''Grand  Architect 
of  the  Universe."  And  are  there  not  Catholics 
who  resemble  the  pharisees  in  that  they  are  ex- 
cessively strict  in  the  observance  of  sundry  devo- 
tions and  customs,  often  of  their  own  making, 
whilst  they  unhesitatingly  neglect  the  command- 
ments of  God  and  especially  the  requirements  of 
fraternal  charity? 

Let  us  now  cast  our  eyes  upon  the  last  scene. 
It  shows  us  the  despair  and  the  death  of  the  dis- 
ciple. 

III. 

Judas  saw  himself  most  shamefully  abandoned 
by  his  alleged  friends.  It  was  his  own  fault.  By 
his  sin  he  had  rendered  himself  despicable  in  their 
estimation.  This  was  the  last  grace  God  gave  him 
to  bring  him  back  to  Christ.  But  instead  of  re- 
turning, he  filled  the  measure  of  his  sins  by  despair- 
ing of  God's  mercy. 

In  all  this,  we  may  recognize  the  infernal  cun- 
ning of  the  wicked  enemy.     Before  the  deed,  he 


THE  DEATH  OF  THE  TRAITOR  131 

obscures  the  understanding  of  the  sinner,  he  seeks 
to  deceive  him  by  many  sophistries;  he  benumbs 
conscience,  he  adds  to  the  will  fearlessness,  cour- 
age and  daring.  But  as  soon  as  sin  is  committed, 
he  opens  the  eyes  of  the  unhappy  sinner.  With 
excessive  exactitude  he  reproduces  the  malice  of 
the  crime;  he  now  tortures  conscience  with  the 
most  excruciating  pangs.  He  shows  the  sinner  hell 
opened  and  the  drawn  sword  of  an  avenging  God. 
** Judas,"  said  Satan,  ''what  hast  thou  done?  The 
voice  of  thy  brother,  thy  master's  blood  crieth  for 
vengeance  to  heaven  from  the  earth." 

Oh,  if  ever,  on  account  of  past  sins  and  faults, 
the  evil  enemy  should  seek  to  arouse  discourage- 
ment, distrust  and  despair  in  our  hearts,  we  must 
crush  such  temptations  in  their  very  beginning. 
In  such  moments  we  should  recall  the  consoling 
words  which  God  spoke  through  His  prophet 
Ezeehiel,  "I  desire  not  the  death  of  the  wicked, 
but  that  the  wicked  turn  from  his  way  and  live ; "  * 
and  the  words  of  the  Saviour,  "I  came  not  to  call 
the  just,  but  sinners  to  penance. ' '  ^  We  must  then 
remember  the  love  and  mercy  with  which  He  par- 
doned Peter,  Mary  Magdalene,  and  the  thief  on 
the  cross.  We  must  pray  to  Him  and  follow  the 
advice  of  St.  Augustine,  "If  thou  dreadest  God, 
throw  thyself  into  His  arms." 

Had  Judas  acted  thus,  had  he  given  Christ  a 
chance  to  glance  at  him,  had  he,  at  least,  hastened 

1  Ezech.,  xxxiii.,  11. 

2  St.  Luke,  v.,  32. 


132  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

to  Mary,  the  refuge  of  sinners,  lie  would  have 
found  solace,  encouragement  and  pardon,  and  now 
he  would  belong  to  the  choir  of  holy  apostles.  But 
the  love  of  our  blessed  ]\Iother  was  extinct  in  the 
heart  of  Judas;  respect  for  her  and  confidence  in 
her  were  wanting.  One  who  truly  reveres  Mary, 
says  St.  Bernard,  will  never  be  lost.  But  Judas 
despaired.  "0  Judas,''  writes  St.  Leo,^  "thou 
hast  become  more  abominable  and  more  unfortu- 
nate than  all  others,  because  penance  hath  not 
called  thee  back  to  the  Lord,  but  despair  hath 
drawn  thee  to  the  halter.  Hadst  thou  only  awaited 
the  result  of  thy  crime.  Hadst  thou  postponed 
thy  disgraceful  suicide  until  the  blood  of  Christ 
had  been  shed  for  all  sins.  .  .  .  Why  didst 
thou  place  distrust  in  the  Goodness  of  Him  who 
refused  thee  not  the  kiss  of  peace,  when,  with  the 
band  and  cohort  of  armed  men,  thou  didst  ap- 
proach Him?" 

But  Judas  cast  down  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver 
in  the  temple, — he  departed — ^he  went  away — he 
hanged  himself  with  a  halter.  He  burst  asunder 
in  the  midst  and  all  his  bowels  gushed  out.^  Such 
was  the  awful  end  of  the  traitor. 

"The  unhappy  traitor,"  says  Venerable  Bede,^ 
"found  a  worthy  punishment  in  that  the  knot  of  a 
rope  choked  the  throat  whence  issued  the  word 
of  treason.  He  found  a  worthy  place  of  demise. 
Having  delivered  to  death  the  Lord  of  men  and 

1  Serm.  3  de  Pass.  c.  3. 

2  Acts,  i.,  18. 

3  S.  Act.  Ap.  c.  1.    Migne  t.  92,  col.  944. 


THE  DEATH  OF  THE  TRAITOR  133 

angels,  like  to  Achitopheles  and  Absolom  who 
sought  the  life  of  David,  their  king,  he  perished, 
suspended  in  the  air,  an  abomination  in  the  sight  of 
heaven  and  of  earth,  an  associate  of  the  evil  spirits 
of  the  air.  Death  overtook  him  in  a  worthy  man- 
ner in  that  his  insides,  where  the  venom  of  treach- 
ery had  matured,  burst  and  gushed  out  and  from 
the  air  spread  upon  the  earth."  A  few  hours 
afterwards  the  Saviour  was  nailed  to  the  cross 
which  was  high  enough  to  look  down  upon  the 
soulless  corpse  of  the  apostle  at  the  bottom  of  the 
declivity. 

To  cover  their  misdeed  with  the  cloak  of  piety 
and  religion,  the  high-priests  soon  afterwards 
bought,  with  the  blood-money,  the  field  of  a  potter 
as  a  burial-place  for  heathens.  They  took  the 
price  of  Him  Who  was  prized  and  Who  yet  was 
priceless,  Whom  they  had  bought,  not  from  the 
heathens,  but,  0  disgrace!  from  a  child  of  Israel, 
and  they  gave  it  for  the  field  of  a  potter,  of  whom 
Jeremias,  at  the  inspiration  of  God,  had  made 
mention.^  Probably  the  field  had  become  ex- 
hausted of  its  clay  and  was  consequently  useless 
and  cheap.  What  hypocrites  and  fools  the  high- 
priests  were!  They  had  put  their  heads  together 
and  consulted  how  to  dispose  of  the  money,  so 
that  the  declaration  of  Judas  concerning  the  inno- 
cence of  Christ,  might  be  stifled  in  silence.  But 
the  wisdom  of  God  foiled  their  prudence.  The 
people  soon  began  to  taunt  them  about  the  money 

1  Note  8. 


134  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

that  had  been  paid  for  the  potter's  field.  Already 
on  the  fiftieth  day  after  the  Lord's  demise  the 
field  was  called  the  field  of  blood.^ 

"This  name,"  says  St.  Chrysostom,  "proclaims 
their  murder  louder  than  any  trumpet.  Had  they 
deposited  the  money  in  the  treasury,  the  affair 
would  not  have  become  so  public."  But  in  this 
way  the  high-priests  reared  a  monument  to  them- 
selves to  perpetuate  their  eternal  disgrace.  Be- 
sides, it  is  very  noteworthy  that  the  price  of 
Christ's  blood  was  used  for  the  sepulchral  repose 
of  the  heathens. 

In  this  field  the  body  of  the  traitor  was  buried. 
Judas  was,  then,  the  first  Catholic  who,  to  use  a 
modern  phrase,  was  buried  in  unconsecrated 
ground.  According  to  ancient  traditions,-  this 
field  had  the  wonderful  and  grewsome  property 
of  turning,  within  twenty-four  hours,  into  dust 
and  ashes  all  bodies  buried  therein.  Untold  dis- 
honor burdens  the  name  and  the  memory  of  the 
traitor  throughout  all  ages.  And  his  soul — and 
this  is  the  saddest  of  all — burns  in  the  deepest 
abyss  of  hell  and  shall  continue  to  burn  therein 
during  all  eternity.  0  crucified  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
through  the  intercession  of  Thy  sorrowful  mother, 
deliver  us  from  such  an  end  and  grant  us  the  grace 
of  a  happy  death. 

lActs,  i.,  19. 

2  Adrichomius,  Descr.  Jesus,  n.  216  j  cf.  Corn,  k  Lapide 
Matth.  27,  8. 


CHAPTER  XL 

THE  ACCUSATION  BEFORE  PILATE 

"  They  began  to  accuse  him,  say- 
ing: We  have  found  this  man  per- 
verting our  nation,  and  forbidding  to 
give  tribute  to  Csesar,  and  saying 
that  he  is  Christ  the  king." 

(St.  Luke,  xxiii.,  2.) 

From  the  Garden  of  Olives  Christ  was  led  to 
Annas,  from  Annas  to  Caiphas,  from  Caiphas  to 
Pilate.  How  many  steps  Our  Divine  Saviour  had 
to  take  on  this  day  before  He  finally  was  allowed 
to  die  for  us !  On  the  other  hand,  how  many  steps 
the  sinner  takes  to  offend  his  Saviour  and  to  fall 
into  the  embrace  of  eternal  death.  On  account  of 
His  increasing  fatigue  and  of  His  continued  mal- 
treatment, the  repeated  marches  of  Christ  became 
more  tiring  and,  at  the  same  time,  more  humil- 
iating, it  being  now  broad  day-light  and  the  num- 
ber of  curious  and  jeering  people  having  in- 
creased. On  the  way,  two  circumstances  especially 
must  have  offended,  in  the  highest  degree,  the  self- 
respect  of  the  Redeemer.  He  was  now  bound,  not 
with  ropes,  but  with  chains.  It  meant,  that  the 
accused,  now  bound  over  to  the  civil  authority, 
had  been  found  guilty  and  condemned  by  the 
spiritual  authority.  Then,  the  delivering  of 
135 


136  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

Christ  unto  Pilate  was  not  being  done  by  a  few 
subalterns,  but  by  the  entire  grand  council,  by 
all  the  high-priests,  the  scribes,  the  ancients  and 
the  Pharisees.  Such  an  extraordinary  cortege 
must  naturally  have  produced  among  the  onlook- 
ers the  impression  that  the  most  abject  criminal 
was  being  led  to  Pilate.  Thus  was  accomplished 
what  Christ  foretold  in  the  Gospel  according  to  St. 
Matthew  (xx.,  19),  namely,  that  He  would  be  de- 
livered to  the  Gentiles.  Jesus  thus  became  the 
real  Joseph,  delivered  by  his  brethren  unto  stran- 
gers. 

When  the  high-priests,  the  scribes  and  the  an- 
cients arrived  before  the  house  of  Pilate,  they 
made  their  servants  and  soldiers  lead  Jesus  into 
the  hall.  They  themselves  did  not  enter,  in  order 
not  to  be  defiled  and  thus  prohibited  from  eat- 
ing the  pasch.  Pilate,  therefore,  went  out  to  them 
and  said,  ''What  accusation  bring  you  against  this 
man?"  They  answered  and  said  to  him,  "If  he 
were  not  a  malefactor,  we  would  not  have  delivered 
him  up  to  thee. ' '  Pilate  then  said  to  them,  ' '  Take 
him  you  and  judge  him  according  to  your  law." 
But  the  Jews  said,  ' '  It  is  not  lawful  for  us  to  put 
any  man  to  death."  Then  they  began  to  accuse 
Him  and  said,  ''We  have  found  this  man  pervert- 
ing our  nation  and  forbidding  to  give  tribute  to 
Cffisar,  and  saying  that  he  is  Christ  the  king. ' '  ^ 
Pilate,  thereupon,  retired  into  the  courtroom  to 
give  Christ  a  hearing. 

iSt.  John,  xviii.,  28-34;  St.  Luke,  xxiii.,  1,  2. 


THE  CHARGES  BEFORE  PILATE  137 

Let  us  consider: 
I.     The  motives  of  the  accusation, 
II.     The  negotiations  with  Pilate  concerning  it 

and 
III.     The  subject  of  the  charge  itself. 


First  of  all,  the  great  council  had  no  right  to 
execute  the  sentence  of  death  pronounced  against 
Christ  without  the  consent  of  Pilate.  The  very 
first  Koman  governor  had  received  from  the  em- 
peror the  exclusive  power  of  inflicting  capital  pun- 
ishment. On  its  own  authority,  the  great  council 
could  impose  only  subordinate  punishments,  such 
as  the  flagellation.  When  a  criminal  was  con- 
demned to  any  mode  of  execution  provided  for 
by  the  Mosaic  law,  such  as  stoning,  decapitation, 
burning  or  hanging,  the  charge  and  the  proceed- 
ings had  to  be  submitted  to  the  governor  for  ap- 
proval. This  held  good  also  relating  to  blas- 
phemy, sorcery  or  any  other  crime  against  re- 
ligion. 

In  this  case,  however,  a  simple  ratification  of 
the  sentence  on  the  part  of  Pilate  would  not  have 
served  the  purpose  of  the  great  council.  As  has 
already  been  mentioned,  the  council  could  not  ac- 
cording to  the  Mosaic  law,  pronounce  and,  much 
less,  execute  a  sentence  of  death  on  the  day  of 
the  trial.  This  would  relegate  the  execution  to 
the  following  day.  But  the  following  day  being 
the  paschal  Sabbath,  it  would  have  to  be  post- 
poned until  after  the  paschal  holidays,  or  for  fully 


138  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

eight  days,  as  was  afterwards  done  by  Herod  in 
the  case  of  St.  Peter.  However,  such  a  postpone- 
ment might  thwart  all  the  plans  of  the  high-priests. 
They  still  heard  the  hosannas  ringing  in  their  ears, 
and  the  fact  that  Christ  had  many  secret  adherents 
made  them  apprehend  a  change  in  public  opin- 
ion which  would  render  impossible  any  further 
proceedings.  They  therefore  resolved  to  work  the 
matter  into  the  hands  of  Pilate  in  such  a  manner 
that  he  would  cause  his  heathen  soldiery  to  execute 
the  sentence  of  death  on  that  very  day,  before  the 
advent  of  the  Pasch.^ 

"We  shall  now  pass  on  to  the  negotiations  with 
Pilate  concerning  the  case. 

II. 

The  Roman  governors  did  not  reside  in  Jerusa- 
lem, but  in  Caesarea,  beautifully  located  on  the 
sea  shore.  There  they  had  taken  possession  of  the 
royal  palace  of  the  Herodians.  When  on  the  great 
festivals  they  came  to  Jerusalem  to  maintain  or- 
der, they  would  dwell  in  the  Herodian  castle,  called 
by  the  Romans  Castle  Antonia.  It  commanded 
a  view  of  the  court  of  the  temple  and  had  a  gar- 
rison. There,  near  the  temple  and  surrounded  by 
their  soldiers,  the  governors  watched  proceedings. 
As  the  Herodians  could  not  well  be  deprived  of  all 
their  holdings,  they  were  left  in  possession  of  the 
royal  palace  on  Sion,  which  was  not  a  source  of 
danger,  because  it  was  commanded  by  strong  tow- 

1  See  note  9, 


THE  CHARGES  BEFORE  PILATE  139 

ers  in  the  neighborhood.  Herod  I.,  who  built  the 
castle,  had  lavished  upon  it  all  his  love  for 
splendor.  It  had  the  extent  and  the  arrangement 
of  a  palace,  and,  as  Flavins  Josephus  writes,  "Its 
interior  was  so  divided  into  compartments,  halls, 
baths  and  gj^mnasiums  that,  owing  to  the  universal 
conveniences  of  a  city  which  it  contained  and  to 
the  splendor  which  it  exhibited,  it  resembled  a 
royal  palace. ' '  ^ 

AYhen  they  arrived  here,  the  high-priests  and 
scribes  caused  the  heathen  menials  to  lead  Jesus 
into  the  castle.  They  themselves  did  not  enter, 
"that  they  might  not  be  defiled,  but  that  they 
might  eat  the  pasch. ' '  The  strict  Jew,  be  it  under- 
stood, considered  the  house  of  a  heathen  to  be  le- 
gally unclean.-  To  enter  it,  according  to  pharisaic 
tradition,  entailed  a  defilement  of  seven  daj^s. 
Besides,  old  Herod  had  adorned  the  interior  of 
the  castle  with  many  idolatrous  and  shameless 
statues,  and  the  orthodox  Jew  looked  upon  it  as  a 
heathen  temple  and  an  abode  of  lepers.  There 
were,  then,  two  reasons  on  account  of  which  the 
high-priests  would  not  enter  the  castle.  They 
would  not  be  defiled.  Legal  defilement  would  hin- 
der them  from  eating  the  paschal  lamb. 

Jesus,  then,  stood  before  Pilate,  the  representa- 
tive of  the  Roman  emperor.  At  the  sight  of  the 
Saviour,  so  terribly  mangled  and  maltreated,  Pilate 
undoubtedly  waxed  very  wroth  at  the  high-priests. 
For  his  o^vn  sense  of  justice  must  have  suggested 

1  B.  J.  V.  5,  8. 

2  Cf.  Acts,  X.,  28. 


140  HISTOEY  OF  THE  PASSION 

to  him  that  it  was  unfair  and  cruel  to  inflict  on 
a  sentenced  criminal  other  punishments  than  those 
contained  in  the  sentence,  especially  when  the 
criminal  stood  before  him  in  the  quality  of  an 
accused  only.  Besides  this,  the  remarkable  calm- 
ness, dignity  and  majesty  of  Jesus  Christ  as  op- 
posed to  the  passionate  clamor  and  ravings  of  the 
Jews,  caused  him  to  sympathize  entirely  with  the 
Saviour.  He  was  indignant,  furthermore,  at  the 
insult  offered  him  by  the  high-priest,  who  avoided 
entering  his  house  as  if  he  were  an  unclean  dog. 
He  therefore  went  out  and  gruffly  and  in  a  tone 
of  indignation  asked  them,  ''What  accusation 
bring  you  against  this  man  ? ' '  They  answered  and 
said  to  him,  ''If  he  were  not  a  malefactor,  we 
would  not  have  delivered  him  up  to  thee." 

It  appears  singular,  indeed,  that  against  all  cus- 
tom the  high-priests  should  suggest  to  Pilate  that 
he  approve  and  execute  the  sentence  of  death, 
merely  upon  their  word  and  credit,  without  even 
looking  into  the  facts  of  the  case.  They  certainly 
had  good  reasons  for  such  a  maneuver.  Had  Pilate 
heard  the  contradictory  testimony  of  the  false 
witnesses,  he  would  have  branded  them  as  bare- 
faced calumniators.  But  the  high-priests  could 
not  adduce  any  political  grounds  of  action.  To 
their  crafty  question  about  His  earthly  kingdom, 
the  Kedeemer  had  made  no  reply.  The  affirma- 
tion of  the  question  put  to  Him  at  the  midnight 
session,  whether  He  was  the  Christ,  was  considered 
by  the  high-priests  a  blasphemy,  on  account  of  the 


THE  CHARGES  BEFORE  PILATE  141 

added  expression,  ''The  Son  of  the  living  God/' 
But  they  would  not  establish  their  accusation  upon 
a  blasphemy  in  the  court  of  Pilate,  the  heathen. 
Thus,  with  legal  documents  and  charges  lacking 
and  Pilate  insisting  on  a  definite  charge,  there 
remained  nothing  else  to  do  for  the  members  of 
the  grand  council  but  to  play  the  role  of  the  in- 
jured and,  as  it  were  in  holy  indignation,  to  cry 
out,  "If  he  were  not  a  malefactor,  we  would  not 
have  delivered  him  up  to  thee,"  we  the  guardians 
of  the  law,  we,  the  judges  in  Israel,  we,  the  priests 
of  Jehovah.  Pilate  thereupon  said,  "Take  him 
you  and  judge  him  according  to  your  law."  But 
the  high-priests  answered,  "It  is  not  lawful  for  us 
to  put  any  man  to  death." 

To  determine  with  certainty  the  sense  of  these 
words  of  Pilate  and  of  the  high-priests,  it  would 
be  necessary  to  have  been  present  at  the  con- 
versation and  to  have  read  the  heart  or,  at  least, 
the  features  of  Pilate.  Some  interpreters  deem  it 
possible  that  by  his  language  Pilate  waived  his  right 
to  hear  and  examine  the  charge,  empowering  the 
Jews,  without  any  further  ado,  to  inflict  on  Christ 
any  mode  of  capital  punislunent  allowed  by  their 
law.  Perceiving  their  intention,  he  would  thus 
shift  all  the  odium  on  them,  whilst  remaining  a 
stranger  to  the  affair  himself.  But  that  explana- 
tion seems  to  be  opposed  to  the  sense  of  justice 
manifested  by  Pilate  throughout  the  course  of  the 
trial  until  his  private  interest  became  involved. 
One  does  not  readily  grant  a  favor  to  an  imperti- 


142  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

nent  fellow  against  whom  one  is  already  prejudiced 
and  who,  besides,  prefaces  his  demand  with  an 
insult. 

Other  interpreters  are  therefore  of  the  opinion 
that  Pilate,  puzzled  at  the  strange  conduct  of 
the  high-priests  in  refusing  him  an  insight  into 
the  documents,  conceived  the  idea  that  there  was 
question  only  of  a  small  misdemeanor,  the  punish- 
ment of  which  lay  within  the  competency  of  the 
great  council.  The  good  impression  which  Christ 
had  made  on  him  tended  to  confirm  him  in  this 
opinion.  Besides,  the  high-priests  had  not  defi- 
nitely charged  any  greater  crime ;  they  had  merely 
called  Him  a  malefactor.  According  to  this  ex- 
planation, the  words,  "It  is  not  lawful  for  us  to 
put  any  man  to  death"  called  the  attention  of 
Pilate  to  his  error  and  gave  him  to  understand 
that  here  there  was  no  question  of  a  misdemeanor 
but  of  a  criminal  case  the  adjudication  of  which 
belonged  to  the  governor.  But  opposed  to  this 
view  is  the  fact  that  Pilate,  being  acquainted  with 
the  customs  of  the  Jews,  knew  full  well  that  they 
would  bring  an  accused  to  him  only  when  there 
was  question  of  meting  out  capital  punishment. 

The  following  is  perhaps  the  best  explanation: 
Pilate  became  highly  incensed  at  the  impudent  sug- 
gestions of  the  proud  Jews.  To  punish  them,  he 
reminded  them,  in  a  tone  of  derision  and  with 
cutting  sarcasm,  of  their  dependence  on  the  Ro- 
mans, which  prevented  them  from  executing  their 
own  laws  without  his  permission,  as  if  he  said,  "If 
you  are  not  willing  to  bring  a  charge  against  Him, 


THE  CHARGES  BEFORE  PILATE  143 

take  Him  and  judge  Him  if  you  dare  and  if  it  be 
in  your  power."  This  made  the  high-priests  com- 
prehend that  they  could  not  play  fast  and  loose 
with  Pilate.  Abashed,  stifling  their  anger  with  an 
effort  and  acknowledging  their  helplessness,  they 
then  produced  their  charges.^ 

No  matter  from  what  point  of  view  the  con- 
versation may  be  considered,  one  thing  is  certain. 
The  high-priests  learned  that  they  would  never 
attain  their  object  unless  they  submitted  definite 
charges.     We  are  anxious  to  hear  them. 

HI. 

The  accusation  was  as  follows :  *' We  have  found 
this  man  perverting  our  nation,  and  forbidding 
to  give  tribute  to  Caesar  by  saying  that  he  is  Christ 
the  king."  Here  we  have  an  occasion  to  study  in 
its  most  despicable  form  the  infernal  cunning,  the 
deceit  and  the  h>T)ocrisy  of  the  high-priests,  the 
scribes  and  the  ancients. 

What  cunning!  To  judge  from  the  proceedings 
in  the  house  of  Caiphas,  one  would  expect  the  sub- 
ject of  the  charge  to  be  blasphemy  or  the  attack 
on  the  temple.  But  of  all  this  not  a  word  was 
mentioned  before  Pilate.  Common  sense  forbade 
the  accusers  to  mention  the  tearing  down  of  the 
temple  which  was  standing  before  them  in  all  its 
grandeur.  They  would  not  appear  ridiculous. 
And  the  charge  of  blasphemy  would  leave  Pilate, 
the  idolater,  entirely  indifferent.     The  high-priests, 

1  See  note  10. 


144  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

therefore,  dropped  the  former  subject  of  accusa- 
tion which  had  brought  about  the  sentence  of  death, 
and  they  submitted  to  Pilate  crimes  of  which  he, 
the  Koman  governor  and  the  representative  of 
the  emperor,  would  have  to  take  cognizance.  They 
brand  the  Redeemer  as  a  person  dangerous  to  the 
state,  as  a  political  criminal. 

Furthermore,  what  lying  and  deceit  there  is  in 
these  accusations.  *'We  have  found  him,'^  they 
say,  "perverting  and  disturbing  our  nation,  and 
forbidding  to  give  tribute  to  Cassar.''  But  which 
of  the  accusers  had  made  even  the  remotest  men- 
tion of  these  crimes  before  Caiphas?  Now  "they 
have  found  him."  Christ  had  been  asked  nothing 
except  whether  or  not  He  was  Christ,  that  is,  the 
Son  of  the  living  God.  He  had  admitted  nothing 
else.  But  they  know  how  to  help  themselves.  Us- 
ing calumny  as  a  means,  they  add  the  word  ' '  king,  *  * 
saying  that  he  is  "Christ  the  king."  For,  if  He 
used  the  word  "king,"  that  is,  if  He  proclaimed 
Himself  a  king,  it  follows  naturally  that  He  must 
have  committed  the  other  two  political  crimes. 

Let  us  consider  the  three  accusations  in  detail; 
they  throw  a  clear  light  on  the  lying  deceit  of 
the  high-priests.  They  call  Christ  a  disturber. 
Christ,  indeed,  was  a  disturber  above  all  others. 
He  disturbed  hundreds  and  thousands  of  men  un- 
til they  followed  Him  into  the  desert  and  listened 
for  days  to  His  instructions.  He  disturbed  hun- 
dreds and  thousands  of  sinners  out  of  their  sin- 
ful slumbers.  But  when  did  He  ever  excite  the 
people   against  civil   authority,    against   the   gov- 


THE  CHARGES  BEFORE  PILATE  145 

emor,  against  the  Roman  emperor?  Venerable 
sirs,  we  demand  the  proof  of  your  statement,  and 
we  promise  you  that,  when  you  will  have  fur- 
nished your  proof,  we  shall  join  with  you  in  your 
accusations  against  Christ.  Furthermore,  Christ 
was  said  to  have  forbidden  the  giving  of  tribute 
to  Caesar.  But  have  you  already  forgotten? 
Have  you  not  heard  from  His  own  mouth 
the  words,  *' Render  unto  Caesar  the  things 
that  are  Caesar's  and  unto  God  the  things  that  are 
God's?"  Christ,  you  say  finally,  declared  Himself 
a  king.  Are  you  not  afraid  that  the  people,  on 
hearing  your  words,  will  publicly  brand  you  be- 
fore Pilate  as  contemptible  calumniators?  Are 
you  not  aware  that  the  Redeemer  hid  Himself  when 
the  people  wished  to  proclaim  Him  king? 

And  consider  the  hypocrisy  of  these  men.  They 
assume  the  appearance  of  loyalty.  They  pose  as 
faithful  and  devoted  subjects  of  C^sar.  They 
appear  anxious  for  the  welfare  of  the  state.  They 
therefore  consider  themselves  bound  in  conscience 
to  deliver  over  to  Cesar's  representative  for  pun- 
ishment, Christ,  the  most  dangerous  of  rebels,  per- 
verters  and  enemies  of  the  government.  And  cer- 
tainly no  more  bitter  enemies  of  Caesar,  no  more 
dangerous  rebels  could  be  found  than  these  very 
high-priests,  scribes,  ancients  and  Jews  in  general. 
The  mere  thought  of  Roman  rule  made  them  boil 
with  anger.  Unceasingly  they  planned  to  over- 
throw it,  for  which  reason  forty  years  afterwards, 
on  account  of  continued  revolts,  their  city  was 
destroyed  from  the  face  of  the  earth.     Even  in 

10 


146  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

latter  years  they  had  attempted  a  demonstration 
against  the  Roman  rule,  but  it  resulted  to  their  dis- 
advantage. In  view  of  this  incident,  kings  and 
emperors  should  at  last  learn  to  know  where  to 
look  for  those  who  are  dangerous  to  the  state  and 
for  enemies  of  their  country.  Then,  instead  of  im- 
prisoning and  sending  into  exile  bishops  and 
priests  and  weak  nuns,  they  would  imprison  and 
expatriate  their  accusers.  But  it  is  our  consola- 
tion and  our  pride  to  know  that  God  has  permitted 
it  in  order  to  spread  the  holy  Catholic  church,  to 
save  many  immortal  souls  and  to  make  us,  the  un- 
worthy servants  of  Jesus  Christ,  partakers  of  the 
glories  of  the  holy  Cross. 

Then  Pilate  went  back  to  the  courtroom  to  give 
Christ  a  hearing. 

How  contemptible  the  vice  of  calumny  and 
slander  is!  We  ought  to  avoid  even  its  shadow. 
The  ignominy  of  it  falls  back  upon  Christ.  For 
''as  long  as  you  did  it  to  one  of  these  my  least 
brethren,  you  did  it  to  me. ' '  ^  When  we  are  un- 
justly attacked  in  our  reputation,  we  shall  not  give 
vent  to  words  of  anger  nor  brood  over  feelings  of 
revenge,  but,  in  imitation  of  the  Saviour,  bear  the 
wrong  at  least  with  patience. 

Let  us  finally  cast  one  more  glance  at  the  ac- 
cused Lord.  Silent  He  stands  in  the  courtroom. 
He  does  not  ask  what  they  are  saying  against  Him 
outside.  He  does  not  desire  to  face  the  accusers 
in   order  to   defend  Himself.     He   leaves  to   Al- 

1  St.  Matthew,  xxv.,  40. 


THE  CHARGES  BEFORE  PILATE  147 

mighty  God  His  defense  and  His  justification. 
And  truly  He  has  reaped  most  abundant  satisfac- 
tion. He  had  been  accused  as  a  perverter  of  the 
people,  and  He  was  silent.  And  behold!  seized 
by  an  invisible  power,  all  nations  and  peoples  arise. 
One  nation  presses  the  other  onward.  They  all 
hasten  to  embrace  the  doctrine  of  the  Crucified. 
It  had  been  said  that  He  forbade  to  give  tribute 
to  C^ar,  and  He  was  silent.  And  I  see  princes 
and  kings  and  emperors  who  deem  it  an  honor  to 
pay  to  Christ  the  tribute  of  their  fealty,  princes 
and  kings  and  emperors  who  spread  before  His 
feet  their  jewels  and  their  golden  crowns.  He  had 
been  accused  of  aspiring  to  overthrow  C^sar,  and 
He  was  silent.  Wait  but  a  few  centuries  and  upon 
the  ruins  of  the  fallen  Roman  empire  there  arises 
a  new  kingdom,  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  embracing 
the  entire  world.  High  upon  the  summit  of  the 
Capitol  shines  the  Cross,  the  victorious  symbol  of 
the  Hero  of  Golgotha.  He  had  been  accused  of 
attempting  to  make  Himself  king,  and  He  was 
silent— it  cost  Him  His  life.  And  now,  for 
eighteen  himdred  years,  with  a  mild  sway,  He  has 
ruled  heaven  and  earth.  He  is  the  king  of  glory, 
world  without  end. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE  FIRST  HEARING  OF  CHRIST  BEFORE  PILATE 

"  Pilate  saith  to  him :  What  is 
truth  ?  And  when  he  said  this  he  went 
out  again  to  the  Jews  and  saith  to 
them:    I  find  no  cause  in  him." 

(St.  John,  xviii.,  38.) 

The  accusation  was  high-treason.  Pilate  re- 
turned to  the  courtroom,  took  his  seat  on  the 
judge's  bench  and  cited  Jesus  before  his  tribunal. 
A  remarkable  trial,  indeed !  The  judge  is  a  pagan 
governor,  the  representative  of  the  Eoman  em- 
peror. The  plaintiffs  are  the  highest  officials  and 
dignitaries  of  the  Jewish  people.  The  accused  is 
none  other  than  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  the 
Lord  of  heaven  and  earth.  The  case  was  a  novel 
one;  none  like  it  had  ever  been  witnessed.  This 
man  who  for  three  years  by  His  inspired  sermons 
had  fairly  carried  away  innumerable  crowds  of 
hearers;  who,  on  account  of  His  wonderful  deeds, 
was  looked  upon  as  a  superior  being;  a  man  of 
the  people  more  than  any  other,  who,  some  days 
before,  had  been  led  in  festal  triumph  into  Jerusa- 
lem— now,  at  the  instigation  of  the  same  people, 
stood  accused  of  high-treason  before  the  tribunal 
of  a  pagan  judge.     Let  us  consider^ 

iSt.    John,    xviii.,    33-38;    St.    Matthew,   xxvii.,    11-14; 
St.  Mark,  xv.,  2-5;   St.  Luke,  xxiii.,  3-7. 
148 


FIRST  HEARING  BEFORE  PILATE  149 

I.     The  hearing  detailed  and 
II.     The  chief  mistake  of  Pilate  during  the  hear- 
ing. 


Pilate  began  the  hearing  with  the  words,  ''Art 
thou  the  king  of  the  Jews  ? ' '     This  question  reveals 
to  us  the  keen  and  expert  inquisitor.     From  among 
all   the   charges,  he  selects  that  representing  the 
main  issue.     If  Christ  were  a  king,  it  would  fol- 
low evidently  that  He  would  not  allow  His  subjects 
to  recognize  a  foreign  king  nor  to  pay  tribute  to 
him.     Then  Pilate  gave  to  the  charge  of  the  Jews 
a  different  construction.     He  did  not  ask,,  *'Hast 
thou  said  that  thou  art  a  king?"  but,  ''Art  thou 
the  king  of  the  Jews?"     The  question  was  well 
put.     Had  Jesus  asserted  His  claim  only  by  way 
of  boasting  without  any  foundation  in  fact,  there 
would  have  been  in  it  no  serious  danger  to  the 
commonwealth.     Again,  he  did  not  ask,  after  the 
indefinite  and  general  manner  in  which  the  Jews 
presented  the  charge,   "Art  thou  a  king?"  but, 
' '  Art  thou  the  king  of  the  Jews  ? ' '     For  had  Christ 
really  been  a  king,  but  of  a  foreign  and  independ- 
ent realm,  then  proper  honors  were  due  to  Him  as 
an  equal  of  the  Roman  emperor.     The  question 
at  issue  was  whether  He  was  the  king  of  the  Jews, 
of  a  nation  subject  and  tributary  to  the  Roman 
emperor.     After  all  his  dealings  with  the  Jews, 
Pilate  was  certainly  aware  that  they  expected  a 
king.     He  wanted  to  know  whether  or  not  the  ac- 
cused was  this  king. 


150  HISTOKY  OF  THE  PASSION 

Our  Divine  Lord  desired  particularly  to  hear 
from  Pilate's  own  mouth,  whether  he  had  put 
this  question  as  judge,  as  an  official,  or  whether 
he  wished,  in  his  private  capacity,  to  ascertain  the 
truth.  Certainly  Christ  had  the  right  to  presume 
that  Pilate  had  a  personal  interest  in  learning  who 
the  accused  really  was.  His  innumerable  miracles 
in  proof  of  His  Messianic  dignity  could  surely 
not  have  remained  unknown  to  Pilate,  who  had 
been  in  Judea  during  the  entire  public  life  of  the 
Redeemer.  Besides,  the  divine  dignity  and  majesty 
of  Christ,  which  shone  even  through  His  disfigured 
and  sullied  countenance,  could  not  fail  to  make  an 
impression  on  the  pagan.  Moreover,  in  that  very 
moment  the  Saviour  did  not  fail  to  supply  the 
interior  grace.  He  therefore  asked  Pilate:  ''Say- 
est  thou  this  thing  of  thyself,  or  have  others  told 
it  thee  of  me?"  Pilate,  provoked,  answered 
roughly:  *'Am  I  a  Jew?  Thy  own  nation  and  the 
chief -priests  have  delivered  thee  up  to  me.  What 
hast  thou  done?"  In  other  words,  "Personally,  I 
am  indifferent  as  to  what  thou  art,  for  I  am  a 
pagan  and  no  Jew.  I  ask  thee  .as  judge,  because 
thou  hast  been  accused  before  me.  What  then 
hast  thou  done?  Mention  the  crime."  In  order 
not  to  provoke  Pilate  who,  as  Roman  governor, 
had  to  shield  the  emperor,  and  to  restrain  him 
from  undue  haste  and  rashness,  Christ  an- 
swered evasively  the  question  regarding  His  kingly 
power.  He  did  not  deny  nor  did  He  declare  in 
express  words  that  He  was  a  king.  He  merely 
spoke  of  His  kingdom,  that  it  was  not  of  this  world 


FIRST  HEARING  BEFORE  PILATE  151 

and,  therefore,  that  it  bore  no  resemblance  to  other 
kingdoms.  Pilate  consequently  need  have  no 
anxiety.  No  hostile  movement  would  be  set  on  foot 
against  him  or  the  emperor  on  the  part  of  Christ, 
Who  had  neither  armies,  nor  arms,  nor  strong- 
holds. 

This  answer  seemed  to  satisfy  Pilate  to  some 
extent.     But  he  desired  more  clearness  and  pre- 
cision.    A  kingdom,  he  thought,  without  a  king,  is 
impossible.     But  he  who  has  a  kingdom  must  be 
a  king.     He  therefore  repeated  his  question,  ''Art 
thou  a  king?"     With  all  the  modesty  becoming 
one  arraigned  Jesus  answered,  ''Thou  sayest,  that 
I  am  a  king."     Then  He  answered  the  other  ques- 
tion   which    Pilate    had    subsequently    proposed: 
"What  hast  thou  done?"     But,  0  Pilate,  should 
Jesus  tell  thee  all  that  He  has  done,  how,  as  God, 
He   created  heaven  and  earth,  how,   as  man  for 
three  years.  He  wandered  through  Palestine  dis- 
pensing benefits  and  working  miracles,  the  evening 
would  not  see  the  end  of  the  trial.     However,  Jesus 
said,  "For  this  was  I  born  and  for  this  came  I 
into  the  world;  that  I  should  give  testimony  to 
the  truth."     It  is  my  calling  and  it  was  my  busi- 
ness to  teach  the  truth.     Then  in  a  delicate  manner 
Christ  gave  him  the  well  meant  advice  to  join  the 
ranks  of  those  who  were  believers  in  His  doctrine : 
"Every  one  that  is  of  the  truth,"  that  is,  who 
loves  the  truth,  who  is  interested  in  learning  to 
know  the  truth,  "heareth  my  voice." 

Now  Pilate  understood.     The  answers  given  con- 
vinced him  perfectly  that  Christ  was  innocent  and 


152  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

of  no  danger  to  the  commonwealth.  But  how  can 
this  be  explained?  Had  Pilate  really  understood, 
in  its  supernatural  sense,  the  answer  of  Christ  re- 
garding His  kingdom?  No;  by  stating  that  per- 
sonally He  cared  naught  for  Christ  or  for  His 
doctrine,  he  showed  that  he  had  failed  to  grasp  the 
true  sense  of  Christ's  answer,  which  would  have 
proved  so  great  a  grace  to  him.  He  rather  consid- 
ered the  Saviour  Who  had  spoken  to  him  about 
the  truth  and  represented  Himself  as  a  teacher  of 
the  truth  to  be  one  of  those  men  such  as  Pyrrho, 
Zeno,  Thales  and  Epicurus,  who  from  time  to  time 
endowed  the  world  with  a  new  philosophical  sys- 
tem and  who  founded  schools  of  philosophy  named 
after  themselves.  And  because,  even  at  that  time, 
people  were  wont  to  see  in  such  founders  extraor- 
dinary pride,  limitless  arrogance  and  excessive  self- 
esteem,  Pilate  did  not  find  it  strange  that  this  new 
teacher  of  wisdom  vaunted  himself  as  a  king  before 
his  disciples.  He  might  think  it  ridiculous,  but 
not  dangerous  to  the  state.  "To  play  at  kings,'* 
he  thought,  "is  done  also  by  children." 

But  before  going  out  to  the  Jews,  Pilate  could 
not  help  proposing  casually  the  sarcastic  question, 
"What  is  truth?"  Does  truth  exist  in  fact?  Is 
there  a  man  who  knows  what  truth  is?  Is  not 
everything  doubt  and  uncertainty?  By  this  ques- 
tion Pilate  also  wished  to  show  how  little  he,  the 
pagan  and  statesman,  cared  for  religious  and  phi- 
losophic questions  and  disputes.  And  to  condemn 
any  one  to  death  because  his  scientific  views  dif- 


FIRST  HEARING  BEFORE  PILATE  153 

fered  from  those  of  others,  seemed  to  him  entirely 
improper. 

Pilate  therefore  went  out  and  declared  solemnly, 
**I  find  no  cause  in  him/'  Then  he  caused  Jesus 
to  be  led  forth,  whereupon  the  Jews  again  began 
their  accusations.  Pilate  repeatedly  urged  Christ 
to  defend  Himself,  but  He  answered  nothing  so 
that  Pilate  was  greatly  astonished.  He  had  never 
met  an  accused  person  who  was  silent  in  his  own 
defense,  even  though  he  knew  that  the  judge  fa- 
vored him.  Pilate  also  would  have  been  extremely 
glad  if  Christ  by  a  brilliant  speech  of  defense  had 
helped  him  out  of  the  unfortunate  dilemma  in 
which  he  found  himself.  On  the  one  hand,  he 
did  not  wish  to  condemn  Christ,  whom  he  consid- 
ered innocent,  neither  did  he,  on  the  other,  wish 
to  offend  the  prominent  Jews.  But  Christ,  Who 
had  defended  Magdalene  and  shielded  the  adul- 
teress, was  silent  in  His  own  case.  Then  the  high- 
priests,  in  their  renewed  accusations,  gave  the 
judge  a  favorable  chance  to  rid  himself  of  the 
whole  matter.  With  cries  and  much  noise,  the 
more  easily  to  succeed,  they  repeated  that  Christ 
stirred  up  the  people ;  that  He  did  it  by  His  teach- 
ings all  over  Judea;  that  He  was  not  only  a  rebel 
Himself,  but  that  He  made  it  a  point  to  preach 
insubordination  and  revolt  all  the  way  from  Galilee 
to  Jerusalem. 

These  last  words  the  accusers  were  in  hopes 
would  be  received  as  proof  of  their  charge.  For 
Galilee    was    notorious    for    its    many    seditions. 


154  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

There  Roman  domination  found  its  most  stubborn 
and  energetic  opponents.  Therefore,  they  meant 
to  insinuate,  Christ  must  necessarily  be  a  rebel 
against  the  emperor,  because  He  came  from  Gali- 
lee. Such  methods  prevail  even  to-day  in  the  anti- 
religious  camp :  because  some  members  of  the  Cath- 
olic church  or  of  a  religious  society  or  order  have 
been  guilty  of  a  fault,  therefore  they  all  amount 
to  nothing. 

Without,  however,  entering  into  the  idea  of  the 
Jews,  Pilate  merely  inquired  whether  this  man 
was  a  Galilean,  and,  when  he  received  an  affirma- 
tive reply,  a  burden  fell  from  his  heart.  He 
breathed  easier.  Jesus,  then,  was  a  Galilean,  con- 
sequently from  Herod's  dominion,  and  just  at 
that  time  Herod  w^as  in  Jerusalem.  Pilate  im- 
mediately gave  orders  that  the  Saviour  be  led  to 
Herod.  By  doing  this,  he  hoped  to  rid  himself  of 
the  case  and,  at  the  same  time,  by  this  act  of 
politeness  and  of  recognition  of  his  judicial  power, 
to  reconcile  to  himself  the  good  will  of  Herod,  who 
was  his  bitter  enemy.  The  high-priests  were  very 
well  satisfied.  By  not  acceding  to  their  wishes, 
Pilate  had  caused  them  vexation  enough.  But 
from  Herod,  who  aspired  to  the  royal  crown  of 
Judea  and  to  whom  therefore  every  rival  was 
odious,  from  Herod,  the  son  of  the  child-murderer 
of  Bethlehem,  from  Herod  who  had  made  short 
work  of  John  the  Baptist,  presenting  his  head  to 
a  dancing-girl,  they  hoped  to  obtain  better  results. 
Thus  closed  the  first  trial  of  Our  Lord  and  Saviour 


FIRST  HEARING  BEFORE  PILATE  155 

Jesus  Christ  before  the  vicegerent  of  the  Roman 
emperor. 

Let  us  now  consider  the  main  fault  committed 
hy  Pilate  during  its  progress. 

II. 

Even  at  this  first  trial,  Pilate  showed  several 
weak  points;  he  gave  evidence  of  irresolution  and 
of  human  respect.  He  dared  not  liberate  an  ac- 
cused Avhom  he  knew  to  be  innocent.  It  was  en- 
tirely unjust  to  expose  an  innocent  person  to  the 
further  ill  treatment  of  the  high-priests.  But  we 
shall  now  pass  over  these  faults,  which  present 
themselves  much  more  prominently  at  the  second 
hearing,  and  consider  only  that  fault  which  was 
the  reason  and  source  of  all  subsequent  errors  and 
which  decided  Pilate's  eternal  destiny.  This 
main  fault  was  indifference  to  the  truth  and  con- 
tempt of  it.  "Am  I  a  Jew?"  he  had  asked, 
"AVhat  is  it  to  me,  a  pagan,  what  thou  art?" 
And  when  Christ  presented  Himself  as  the  teacher 
of  the  truth,  he  exclaimed  contemptuously,  ''What 
is  truth  ? ' '  and  turned  his  back  on  Christ. 

''What  is  truth?"  was  Pilate's  question  to  the 
Saviour.  "Does  truth  really  exist?"  By  this 
question  the  pagan  world,  through  the  mouth  of 
Pilate,  declared  itself  insolvent  and  closed  its  ac- 
counts with  truth.  Through  most  curious  philo- 
sophical systems,  many  pagan  investigators  and 
ca viler s  had  arrived  at  the  unanimous  conclusion 
that  there  is  no  supreme  truth,  that  ever5i;hing 


156  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

ends  iu  fallacy  and  uncertainty — a  conclusion  to 
wliich  they  more  readily  subscribed  because  it  dis- 
turbed them  not  in  the  gratification  of  the  most 
ignoble  passions.  Socrates,  the  wisest  of  them  all, 
had  ventured  the  statement  that  he  had  found 
the  truth.  In  punishment,  the  poisoned  cup  was 
handed  him.  Plato,  his  disciple,  died  with  the  dec- 
laration that,  should  man  ever  arrive  at  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  truth,  a  God  must  needs  descend  to 
convey  it  to  him.  Now,  finally,  that  God  had  ar- 
rived. He  stood  before  Pilate,  the  representative 
of  paganism.  And  Pilate  asked  the  happy  ques- 
tion, "What  is  truth?"  The  Saviour  was  ready 
to  teach  him  the  truth.  And  He  was  all  the  more 
ready  because  Pilate  had  thus  far  treated  Him 
justly.  But  the  Roman,  despairing  of  all  truth, 
turns  contemptuously  from  the  teacher  of  eternal 
truth. 

This  moment  in  his  life  was  the  decisive  one 
for  time  and  for  eternity.  Had  the  pagan,  en- 
tangled as  he  was  by  innumerable  doubts,  per- 
mitted himself  to  be  taught  by  Christ,  he  certainly 
would  have  received  from  Him  the  grace  to  arrive 
at  the  knowledge  of  divine  truth.  He  also  would 
then  have  found  courage  to  act  and  to  give  a  de- 
cision according  to  the  known  truth.  He  would  not 
have  sentenced  Christ  to  death,  and  he  would  have 
been  saved.  But  he  preferred  to  remain  in  his 
doubt;  he  wa&  indifferent  to  truth,  he  despised 
truth,  he  resisted  the  Holy  Spirit.  That  brought 
him  into  the  "Credo"  as  a  warning  example  to  all 
despisers  of  truth;  it  put  his  name  in  that  confes- 


FIRST  HEARING  BEFORE  PILATE  157 

sion  by  which  the  Christian  expresses  his  belief  in 
the  truth:  ** Christ,  Who  suffered  under  Pontius 
Pilate.'' 

This  indifference  to  and  contempt  of  truth,  this 
fear  of  truth  and  of  the  obligations  it  entails, 
are  even  nowadays  the  main  reasons  why  so  many 
are  on  the  way  to  perdition  and  to  eternal  ruin. 
Indifference  to  truth  and  its  contempt  are  the 
mother  of  free  thought,  of  religious  indifference, 
of  current  phrases  such  as  this:  that  it  matters 
not  what  or  how  much  one  may  believe,  nor  to 
which  religious  denomination  one  may  belong,  pro- 
vided one  does  what  is  right.  This  is  a  potent  er- 
ror. To  accept  or  doubt  or  reject  truth  is  not  the 
same  to  Christ,  the  divine  Teacher  of  truth.  He 
demands  the  sacrifice  of  our  understanding  and  of 
our  will.  Then  again,  there  are  many  members  of 
the  religious  sects,  fallen  away  from  the  Church, 
who  never  get  beyond  their  religious  doubts,  and 
many  who  are  fully  aware  of  being  in  error.  What 
keeps  them  from  taking  the  decisive  step?  Noth- 
ing but  indifference  to  truth,  often  joined  with  a 
fear  of  truth  and  of  its  practical  consequences. 

Even  among  Catholics  many  follow  in  the  foot- 
steps of  Pilate.  They  are  those  who  feel  no  need 
of  hearing  the  truths  of  our  faith  explained,  al- 
though they  lack  even  the  most  rudimentary  knowl- 
edge of  them.  Although,  every  Sunday  and  holi- 
day, in  our  churches,  Christ  announces  the  truth 
through  the  mouth  of  His  ordained  ministers, 
they  allow  months  and  years  to  pass  by  without 
listening  to  a  single  sermon.     At  most  they  are 


158  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

content  with  a  low  mass.  Even  in  times  of 
extraordinary  grace,  at  missions  and  at  jubilees, 
they  turn  their  backs  to  Christ,  the  Teacher  of 
truth. 

But  the  saddest  feature  of  all  is  that  in  many 
countries  hundreds  and  thousands  of  Catholic 
children  are  systematically  trained  to  be  Pilates 
by  impiously  cruel  parents.  Without  any  legiti- 
mate cause,  they  are  sent  to  schools  from,  which  re- 
ligion and  religious  instruction  are  banished  on 
principle.  I  do  not  wish  to  cast  reproach  upon  all 
teachers  who  instruct  in  these  irreligious  schools, 
as  if  they  purposely  spread  false  doctrines  or 
sought  to  lead  the  children  into  religious  indiffer- 
ence. But  because  in  these  schools  no  favorable 
word  may  be  spoken  of  religion,  and  least  of  all 
of  the  Catholic  religion;  because  the  text-books, 
although  not  always  bad,  are  at  the  very  least 
colorless  and  void  of  religious  value ;  because  prayer 
is  an  unknown  quantity  and  positively  religious 
education  is  entirely  lacking;  therefore,  it  is  re- 
ligious indifference  and  contempt  of  religion  which, 
among  all  the  branches,  the  poor  children  acquire 
the  most  readily  and  retain,  as  a  rule,  for  their  en- 
tire life.  What,  in  the  hour  of  their  death,  will 
such  blind  parents  answer  the  eternal  Judge  when 
He  asks  them,  ''Father,  mother,  what  hast  thou 
done?" 

There  is  no  surer  way  to  obtain  in  abundance 
the  favors  and  grace  of  our  divine  Teacher  than 
by  being  His  willing  disciples.  We  should  there- 
fore often  pray  to  Him,  '  *  Lord,  teach  us  the  truth, 


FIRST  HEARING  BEFORE  PILATE  159 

Thou  hast  the  words  of  eternal  life. ' '  ^  Let  us  seize 
joyfully  upon  all  occasions  which  He  presents  to 
us  in  His  church  to  learn  the  truths  of  faith  and 
morals  and  to  arrive  at  a  better  understanding  of 
them.  Finally,  we  must  lead  lives  in  accordance 
with  the  known  truth.  Then  in  death,  when  all 
outward  show  and  deception  vanish,  truth  will  be 
our  light,  our  solace  and  our  strength,  and  in 
heaven  it  will  be  our  felicity. 

In  conclusion,  let  us  consider  a  word  spoken  by 
Christ  in  the  hearing  before  Pilate ;  it  deserves  our 
attention.  To  the  high-priest  Caiphas  the  Saviour 
had  presented  Himself  as  the  divinely  anointed 
High-Priest  of  the  New  Law,  as  the  promised  Mes- 
siah, as  the  true  Son  of  God.  Before  Pilate  who 
represented  the  ruler  of  the  Roman  world-empire. 
He  declared  Himself  to  be  a  king  as  absolutely  in- 
dependent in  His  kingdom  from  all  worldy  power, 
as  the  emperor  was  in  his  own  dominion.  ' '  My  king- 
dom," He  said,  "is  not  of  this  world,"  its  object 
is  a  supernatural  one.  But  a  kingdom  which  has 
a  supernatural  end,  cannot  possibly  be  subordinate 
to  a  kingdom  pursuing  merely  natural  ends.  The 
Church  of  Christ,  therefore,  has  the  right  of  self- 
government  in  the  fullest  sense  of  the  word.  Thus 
the  declaration  of  Christ  before  Pilate  defined  for 
all  times  to  come  the  mutual  relations  of  Church 
and  state.  Although  both  are  not  of  the  world, 
they  are  both  in  the  world.  They  should  use  all 
the  means  which  God  has  furnished  them  to  attain 
their  objects,   which,   although  different,   are  not 

1  at.  John,  vi.,  69. 


160  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

therefore  opposed  to  each  other.  And  for  a  more 
perfect  attainment  of  their  respective  objects,  they 
ought,  when  occasion  offers,  to  give  each  other  a 
helpful  and  friendlj^  hand.  But,  at  the  very  first 
meeting  in  the  court  of  the  governor,  we  behold 
Church  and  state  in  conflict.  It  may,  however, 
be  mentioned  to  the  honor  of  Pilate  that  he  himself 
neither  began  nor  fostered  the  conflict,  as  in  later 
times  was  done  by  so  many  Christian  kings  and 
emperors  to  their  everlasting  disgrace  and  to  their 
eternal  woe.  Against  his  wall  he  was  drawn 
into  it.  Until  this  moment,  Pilate  sincerely 
desired  to  give  to  the  Church  her  proper  freedom. 
The  conflict  between  the  Roman  empire  at  the 
zenith  of  its  power  and  the  Church  of  Cnrist  began 
later  and  ended  in  the  downfall  of  the  former. 
Thus  shall  criunble  into  ruin  all  governments  which 
persecute  the  kingdom  of  Christ  and  in  brazen  te- 
merity strive  to  destroy  it  from  the  face  of  the 
earth. 

''My  kingdom,"  my  Church,  says  the  Redeemer, 
' '  is  not  of  this  world. ' '  If  we,  then,  would  be  true 
children  of  the  Catholic  Church,  we  must,  like  to 
our  Holy  Mother,  strive  for  the  supernatural.  All 
other  objects  which  we  may  legitimately  strive  for 
must  be  subordinate  to  our  supreme,  supernatural 
end.  We  must  not  busy  ourselves  about  everything 
that  is  upon  earth,  but  we  must  seek  the  things 
that  are  above,  where  Christ  is  sitting  at  the  right 
hand  of  God  ^  and  where  He  rules  as  king  for  all 
eternity. 

iCol.,  iii.,  1. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

CHRIST  BEFORE  HEROD 

"And  Herod  with  his  army  set 
him  at  nought :  and  mocked  him,  put- 
ting on  him  a  white  garment,  and 
sent  him  back  to  Pilate." 

(St.  Luke,  xxiii.,  11.) 

For  a  long  time  a  bitter  enmity  had  secretly  ex- 
isted between  Pilate  and  Herod.  It  had  not  es- 
caped Pilate  that  Herod,  the  tetrarch  of  Galilee, 
maintained  continual  and  direct  negotiations  with 
the  imperial  court  for  no  other  purpose  than  to 
bring  about  the  removal  of  the  governors  and  his 
own  elevation  to  the  throne  of  Judea.  It  seems 
that  Herod  enjoyed  the  especial  favor  of  the  em- 
peror Tiberius  after  whom  he  named  his  capital 
city.  This,  it  is  said,  was  shown  especially  by  the 
fact  that  Tiberius  bestowed  upon  the  tetrarch  the 
dignity  of  king  of  Galilee.  But  it  may  be  that 
Herod,  relying  on  the  favor  of  the  emperor,  placed 
the  crown  upon  his  own  head  as  others  undoubtedly 
did  in  centuries  following.  On  the  other  hand, 
Herod  was  angry  at  Pilate  because  the  latter  had 
not  assisted  him  in  his  war  against  the  Arabians. 
The  following  incident,  according  to  the  narrative 
of  the  Jewish  historian.  Flavins  Josephus,  finally 

161 
11 


162  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

brought  the  enmity  to  an  open  rupture.  For  the 
construction  of  an  expensive  aqueduct,  Pilate  had 
extorted  immense  sums  from  the  treasury  of  the 
Temple ;  the  laborers  he  secured  from  Herod.  His 
violent  measures  caused  excitement  and  exas- 
peration among  the  whole  Jewish  people.  To  in- 
crease the  embittered  feelings,  wily  Herod  gave 
secret  orders  to  the  architects  to  provide  for  poor 
construction.  They  obeyed  the  order  and,  in  con- 
sequence, the  tower  of  Siloe  collapsed,  depriving 
eighteen  artisans  of  their  lives.  In  revenge  for 
this  perfidy  of  the  Galilean  ruler,  Pilate,  at  the 
next  paschal  festivities,  caused  masked  Romans  to 
fall  upon  the  Galileans  while  they  were  offering 
sacrifices  in  the  Temple,  and  a  great  carnage  en- 
sued. The  result  was  a  rebellion  during  which 
several  rebels,  among  others  the  notorious  Barab- 
bas  and,  probably,  the  two  thieves,  were  taken 
prisoners.  And,  to  the  great  chagrin  of  Pilate,  the 
emperor  Tiberius  entrusted  to  Herod  the  supreme 
care  of  the  Temple's  treasury.  Partly  on  account 
of  these  ecclesiastical  moneys,  partly  to  protect  his 
Galileans,  partly  to  ingratiate  himself  with  the 
Jews  whose  king  he  wished  to  be  and  partly  *'to 
satisfy  his  devotion,''  Herod  wended  his  way 
toward  Jerusalem  to  the  paschal  festivities.  As  be- 
hooved a  good  father,  he  took  his  family  with  him. 
By  taking  part  in  the  paschal  supper,  they  would 
give  a  good  example  to  their  subjects,  repair  any 
possible  scandal  they  might  have  given  and  testify 
publicly  to  their  own  orthodoxy. 

To  this  man  Herod  Pilate  ordered  the  soldiers 


CHRIST  BEFORE  HEROD  163 

to  lead  Jesus.  Again  the  high-priests,  scribes  and 
ancients  accompanied  Him.  Divine  Providence  so 
willed  it.  Had  Pilate  liberated  the  Saviour,  the 
high-priests  would  say,  "No  wonder!  Who  knows 
what  lies  Christ  told  Pilate  in  His  own  defense 
when  they  were  alone."  Before  Herod  they  could 
be  convinced  of  His  silence.  Besides,  they  could 
not  charge  Herod,  as  they  could  Pilate,  with  igno- 
rance and  contempt  of  their  law.  Their  confusion 
was  so  much  the  greater,  when  Herod  did  not  con- 
demn Him.  '^And  Herod  seeing  Jesus  was  very 
glad,  for  he  was  desirous  of  a  long  time  to  see 
him,  because  he  had  heard  many  things  of  him; 
and  he  hoped  to  see  some  sign  wrought  by  him. 
And  he  questioned  him  in  many  words.  But  he 
answered  him  nothing.  And  the  chief-priests  and 
scribes  stood  by,  earnestly  accusing  him.  And 
Herod  with  his  army  set  him  at  naught;  and 
mocked  him,  putting  on  him  a  white  garment,  and 
sent  him  back  to  Pilate.  And  Herod  and  Pilate 
were  made  friends  that  same  day,  for  before  they 
were  enemies  one  to  another. ' '  ^ 

Let  us  consider 

I.     The  joy  of  Herod, 
II.     The  disappointment  of  Herod, 

III.     The  revenge  of  Herod. 

I. 

*'And    Herod    seeing    Jesus    was    very    glad." 
This  was  not  the  first  time  a  man  was  glad  to  see 

iSt.  Luke,  xxiii.,  8-12. 


164  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

the  Saviour.  How  glad  were  the  pious  shepherds, 
when  following  the  admonition  of  the  angels,  they 
hastened  to  the  stable  and  found  the  Child  with 
Joseph  and  Its  Blessed  Mother !  How,  at  the  sight 
of  the  new-bom  Saviour,  were  the  wise  men  of  the 
East  recompensed  for  all  the  trouble  and  discom- 
fort of  their  long  journey !  ' '  Now  thou  dost  dismiss 
thy  servant,  0  Lord,  in  peace,"  joyfully  exclaimed 
Simeon,  the  holy  old  man,  when  Mary  placed  the 
Divine  Infant  Jesus  in  his  arms.  Zacheus  also 
desired  greatly  to  see  the  Lord  and  for  this  pur- 
pose he  climbed  up  into  a  tree.  It  was  the  hap- 
piest day  in  his  life.  If,  then,  Herod  was  glad  on 
beholding  the  Saviour  the  first  time,  if,  to  express 
his  joy,  he  prepared  a  splendid  reception,  if  he 
surrounded  himself  with  his  entire  court  and  spoke 
to  Christ  with  condescending  favor,  we  find  noth- 
ing strange  in  it ;  on  the  contrary,  it  appears  to  us 
quite  natural. 

Meanwhile  the  chief-priests,  scribes  and  ancients 
were  standing  there  in  speechless  surprise  and 
ready  to  burst  with  anger  because  Herod,  while 
scarcely  noticing  them,  devoted  all  his  attention 
to  the  Redeemer  and  treated  Him,  not  as  a 
criminal,  but  as  a  most  welcome  guest.  All  the 
hopes  they  had  placed  in  Herod,  seemed  to  evanesce 
in  a  moment.  Then  they  began  to  accuse  Christ 
and  could  hardly  make  an  end.  They  charged  Him 
with  having  aspired  to  the  throne  of  Judea  which 
belonged  to  Herod;  with  having  blasphemed  Grod; 
with  intending  to  destroy  the  temple ;  with  being  a 
relative  of  that  John  who  had  meddled  in  such  an 


CHRIST  BEFORE  HEROD  165 

uncalled  for  manner  in  the  king's  domestic  affairs 
and  thereby  caused  the  latter  so  much  annoyance. 
They  charged  that  Christ  had  afterwards  praised 
John  for  the  stand  he  had  taken  against  the  king ; 
that  Christ,  in  fact,  was  the  soul  of  the  whole  af- 
fair; that  He  had  incited  John  against  the  king; 
that  in  a  public  sermon  He  had  called  the  king  a 
fox,  saying,  ''Go  and  tell  that  fox,  Behold,  I  cast 
out  devils. ' '  ^  When,  later,  they  saw  that  Herod 
began  to  look  upon  Christ  as  a  fool,  they  cleverly 
shifted  their  position  and  cried,  louder  than  before, 
that  Christ  was  a  cunning  rascal  and  an  infamous 
hypocrite,  and  that  He  was  merely  shamming  in 
order  to  obtain  His  liberty. 

But  to  come  back  to  the  joy  of  Herod,  what  casts 
some  suspicion  upon  it  are  the  words  of  the  Gospel 
telling  us  that  of  a  long  time  he  was  desirous  to 
see  Christ  because  he  had  heard  many  things  of 
Him.  If  he  had  been  desirous  for  a  long  time  to 
see  Christ,  why  did  he  not  make  use  before  this  of 
the  innumerable  opportunities  he  had  had  of  seeing 
Him?  For  three  years,  the  Redeemer  had  passed 
through  the  cities  and  villages  of  Palestine.  He 
had  made  Galilee  especially  the  scene  of  His  activ- 
ity; Capharnaum,  where  Herod  often  resided,  was 
the  sojourn  of  predilection,  the  second  home  of 
Christ.  There  He  would  preach  in  the  synagogue, 
on  the  streets,  in  the  houses ;  and  Herod  had  never 
seen  Him.  This  is  the  way  of  many  prominent 
people.     They  prefer  not  to  mingle  with  the  com- 

1  St.  Luke,  xiii.,  32. 


166  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

mon  people  at  religious  services.  It  would  be  be- 
neath their  dignity.  Again,  the  air  in  the  church 
is  usually  too  sultry.  Besides  —  and  this  is  the 
main  point — they  fear  to  be  told  unpalatable 
truths  in  the  sermons.  Therefore  they  remain 
away.  The  Scriptures  mention  as  the  chief  reason 
of  Herod's  joy  the  hope  of  seeing  Christ  work  a 
miracle.  But  why  did  he  not  with  the  other  thou- 
sands follow  the  Saviour  into  the  desert?  He 
surely  would  have  received  his  share  of  the  mirac- 
ulously multiplied  bread. 

The  Redeemer  was  now  to  have  the  honor  of  ap- 
pearing as  a  skilled  magician  before  his  majesty, 
king  Herod,  the  members  of  the  royal  household 
and  the  officials  of  the  court.  Like  a  clown  in  a 
play-house,  He  must  entertain  the  brazen-faced 
crowd  for  a  few  enjoyable  hours.  Such  was  the 
suggestion  of  Herod  to  a  man  who  stood  before  him 
in  the  deepest  humiliation,  a  disfigured  picture  of 
misery  and  woe.  0  God,  were  He  merely  a  man! 
But  He  was  the  One  of  Whom  the  Psalmist  chants, 
^'0  Lord  God  of  hosts,  who  is  like  to  thee?  The 
world  and  the  fulness  thereof  thou  hast  founded: 
the  north  and  the  sea  thou  hast  created.  Thabor 
and  Hermon  shall  rejoice  in  thy  name."  ^  He  was 
the  One  of  Whom  Job  said:  *'Who  hath  removed 
mountains,  and  they  whom  he  overthrew  in  his 
wrath,  knew  it  not.  Who  shaketh  the  earth  out  of 
her  place,  and  the  pillars  thereof  tremble.  Who 
maketh  Arcturus,  and  Orion,  and  Hyades,  and  the 

1  Psalms,  Ixxxviii.,  9,  12,  13. 


CHRIST  BEFORE  HEROD  167 

inner  parts  of  the  south.  Y7ho  doth  things  great 
and  incomprehensible  and  wonderful,  of  which 
there  is  no  number."^  All  that,  0  Herod,  does 
not  suffice  thee.  Thou  demandest  new  miracles. 
Thou  demandest  charlatan  tricks  and  magic  craft 
of  God  Almighty.  And  ye,  unruly  waves  of  the 
Galilean  sea,  on  whom  the  Lord  once  enjoined  re- 
pose, ye  do  not  break  through  your  dams  to  en- 
gulf the  impudent  blasphemer?  Ye  awful  chasms 
in  the  earth,  whom  He  robbed  of  the  dead,  ye  do 
not  open?  Ye  Powers  and  Thrones,  ye  Cherubim 
and  Seraphim,  ye  legions  of  angels,  all  ye  who  sang 
the  Gloria,  do  ye  not  rise  to  avenge  the  sacrilege 
against  your  Creator?  But  the  Kedeemer  stood 
in  silence,  without  complaint,  full  of  dignity  and 
majesty.  Indeed  He  proved  the  truth  of  His 
word,  ' '  I  am  meek  and  humble  of  heart. ' '  ^ 

Then  Herod  began  to  use  all  means  at  his  com- 
mand to  attain  his  object.  He  began  with  flattery. 
For  a  long  time,  he  assured  Christ,  he  had  deemed 
himself  happy  to  harbor  in  his  kingdom  such  an 
excellent  man,  whose  renown  as  an  enlightened 
teacher  and  as  a  great  miracle-worker  had  spread 
far  beyond  the  bounds  of  Galilee.  It  afforded  him 
exceeding  satisfaction  finally  to  have  the  oppor- 
tunity of  making  His  acquaintance.  Then  Herod 
added  promises  of  favor  and  reward.  Christ  would 
not  be  required  to  do  it  for  nothing.  Money, 
liberty  and  life  were  assured  Him,  provided  the 
performance  were   satisfactory.     Then  he  begged 

1  Job.,  ix.,  5-10. 

2  St.  Matthew,  xi.,  29. 


168  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

and  insisted  that  Christ  produce  at  least  a  few 
specimens  of  His  art.  Should  He  not  have  with 
Him  the  material  and  instruments  necessary,  some- 
thing less  difficult  would  be  sufficient.  Then  he 
perhaps  caused  water  to  be  brought,  which  He 
might  change  into  wine.  "We  can  readily  under- 
stand the  anxiety  and  agony  of  the  chief-priests 
lest  Christ  save  Himself  by  a  miracle  and  why 
they  kept  on  accusing  Him  all  the  while.  Finally 
Herod  reminded  the  Redeemer  that  His  life  was  in 
his  power  and  that  it  would  be  imprudent  to  pro- 
voke the  ire  of  a  well-meaning  judge. 

This  was  wonderful  eloquence.  We  shall  not 
deny  it  proper  recognition.  But  the  greater  the 
gladness  and  hope  of  Herod  had  been,  so  much  the 
greater  was  also  his  disappointment. 

II. 

The  Redeemer  had  often  worked  miracles  of  His 
own  accord  and  without  being  asked.  He  beheld 
Himself  surrounded  by  a  hungry  multitude  and 
He  satisfied  them  with  a  few  loaves.  He  met  a 
sorrowing  widow,  walking  behind  the  bier  of  her 
only  son,  and  he  commanded  the  bearers  to  stand. 
He  saw  tears  in  the  eyes  of  two  sisters,  and  He  be- 
gan to  weep  and  exclaimed,  ''Lazarus,  come 
forth!"  But  Herod  wasted  time  and  trouble  striv- 
ing to  induce  Christ  to  perform  a  miracle.  The 
Lord  did  not  even  deign  to  address  a  single  word  to 
him.  Herod,  says  Holy  Writ,  questioned  Him 
in  many  words,  but  He  answered  him  nothing.  It 
was  very  strange,  indeed.     At  other  times,  Christ 


CHRIST  BEFOPvE  HEROD  169 

was  silent  only  under  injury,  calumny,  maltreat- 
ment or  when  asked  to  defend  Himself.  He  was 
wont  to  answer  questions  put  by  a  legitimate  judge. 
Thus  He  declared  before  Pilate  that  He  was  a  king, 
and  before  Caiphas,  that  He  was  the  Son  of  God. 
Why,  then,  did  Herod  not  receive  an  answer  to  his 
questions?  He  was  the  ruler  of  Galilee  and  con- 
sequently the  legitimate  judge  of  the  accused;  be- 
sides, the  governor  had  entrusted  to  him  the  con- 
duct of  the  trial.  Let  us  inquire  into  the  reasons 
of  this  mysterious  silence  before  Herod. 

Some  recent  commentators  designate  the  impure 
life  of  Herod  as  the  chief  cause.  Although  united 
in  lawful  wedlock  with  the  daughter  of  the  Arab- 
ian king  Aretos,  he  was  living  with  Herodias,  the 
wife  of  his  step-brother,  whom  he  had  abducted 
during  a  sojourn  in  Rome.  He  probably  thought 
that  a  point  might  be  stretched  in  this  regard  in 
favor  of  kings  and  princes  who  enjoyed  special 
privileges  on  account  of  their  rank.  Three  years 
had  passed  since  John  the  Baptist  upbraided  him 
for  his  crime.  It  cost  John  his  head,  and  the  pub- 
lic scandal  continued.  If  he  expected  an  answer 
from  the  Saviour,  Herod  ought  certainly  to 
have  removed  the  shameless  woman  from  his  house. 
Certainly  his  sinful  life  made  him  entirely  un- 
worthy of  an  answer.  For  it  almost  seems  that 
nowadays  the  Lord  will  not  address  a  word  of 
grace  to  those  Christians  who  sin  against  purity. 
I  do  not  mean  those  who  fall  occasionally  through 
weakness,  but  those  who  abandon  themselves  en- 
tirely to  this  vice,  who  make  of  it  a  business  and  a 


170  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

source  of  revenue,  and  especially  those  who  for 
years  live  in  sinful  relations.  How  could  they 
otherwise  live  on  seemingly  so  happy  and  appar- 
ently without  remorse?  How  seldom  does  it  hap- 
pen that  such  unfortunate  people  break  the  in- 
terior and  external  fetters  which  bind  them;  how 
seldom  do  they  truly  turn  to  God !  To  work  such 
miracles  of  grace  seems  to  be  reserved  by  Divine 
Providence  to  the  Immaculate  Virgin.  But,  on 
the  other  hand,  when  I  behold  the  Saviour  in  con- 
versation with  the  Samaritan  woman,  who  surely 
was  a  great  sinner,  when  I  consider  that  He  him- 
self caused  this  conversation,  I  cannot  imagine  that 
the  impure  life  of  Herod,  considered  in  itself,  was 
the  main  cause  of  the  silence  of  Jesus  Christ. 
More  ancient  commentators,  indeed,  merely  touch 
upon  this  reason  in  a  cursory  manner. 

There  is  more  weight  in  the  reason  that  Herod, 
who  had  been  brought  up  in  the  Jewish  religion, 
although  not  a  descendant  of  Abraham,  had  well 
nigh  entirely  lost  his  faith.  To  ingratiate  himself 
with  the  Jews,  he  was  led  by  political  prudence 
and  craft  to  observe  certain  precepts  of  the  Mosaic 
Law,  which  he  ridiculed  in  his  heart.  Thus  he 
lived  continually  in  sins  against  the  Holy  Ghost, 
and  it  is  these  sins  above  all  which  stifle  the  voice 
of  Christ's  grace.  For  this  reason  hundreds  of 
Protestants  who  grow  up  in  good  faith,  will  be 
converted  more  easily  than  one  apostate  Catholic. 
Faith  teaches  that  a  Catholic  abandons  and  de- 
nies Ms  religion  not  from  inner  conviction,  but 
through  contempt  of  innumerable  pangs  of  con- 


CHRIST  BEFORE  HEROD  171 

science,  through  mortal  sin.  Such  a  one  lives  in 
continued  antagonism  to  the  Holy  Ghost  and  in 
continued  defiance  of  Him.  Then  Christ  is  silent. 
He  finally  addresses  no  more  reproaches,  so  that 
such  apostates  apparently  enjoy  the  most  unruffled 
peace  of  soul.  It  is  truly  enough  the  peace  of  the 
graveyard.  There  can  be  a  hope  of  conversion 
only  when  they  begin,  by  cries  of  fervent  and 
humble  prayer,  to  induce  the  silent  Saviour  to 
speak,  when  with  confidence  they  turn  to  His 
Divine  Heart  that  they  may  obtain  the  necessary 
strength  to  return  and  courage  to  overcome  im- 
pending difficulties. 

We  may  adduce  as  a  further  and  more  important 
reason  of  the  mysterious  silence  of  Christ  the  fact 
that  Herod  had  deprived  Him  of  His  voice  by  be- 
heading His  forerunner,  the  voice  of  one  crying 
in  the  wilderness.  How  then  could  Christ  speak? 
Woe,  therefore,  a  threefold  woe  upon  all  rulers  who, 
when  Christ  would  speak  to  their  peoples,  de- 
prive Him  of  His  voice  either  by  making  it  im- 
possible, through  diabolical  laws,  for  the  servants 
of  Christ  to  exercise  their  teaching  power  in  school 
and  church,  or  by  banishing  them  from  the  country. 
And  still,  if  Herod  had  done  even  more  than  that 
against  Christ  and  His  followers,  had  he  only  asked 
with  Saul,  "Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to 
do?'*^  he  undoubtedly  would  have  received  an 
answer. 

We  must  then  look  for  the  chief  reason  of  the 

lActs,  ix.,  6. 


172  niSTOKY  OF  THE  PASSION 

silence  of  Christ,  on  the  one  hand,  in  the  impious 
and  frivolous  suggestion  of  the  impure  and  infi- 
del persecutor  of  Christ  that  the  Saviour  use  His 
Divine  Power  for  the  venal  purposes  of  a  juggler 
and,  on  the  other  hand,  in  the  equally  frivolous 
and  curious  questions  which  he  proposed.  First,  he 
is  likely  to  have  asked  Him  whether  He  it  was  at 
whose  birth  the  kings  of  the  East  had  arrived, 
causing  so  much  disquiet  to  his  father  and  so  much 
excitement  in  Jerusalem.  Then  he  wished  to  know 
how  His  parents  had  accomplished  their  flight. 
*'0r,''  continued  he,  *'is  it  true,  as  so  many  claim, 
that  Thou  art  John  the  Baptist,  whom  I  had  be- 
headed but  who,  it  is  alleged,  is  risen  again  to  work 
miracles  °? "  ^  Then  he  asked  for  sundry  informa- 
tion about  miracles  and  it  is  not  improbable  that  he 
requested  the  Redeemer  to  initiate  him  into  the 
secrets  of  His  art.  All  these  reasons  take  away  the 
mystery  from  the  silence  of  Christ. 

The  silence  of  Christ,  is  for  the  rest,  the  most 
dreadful  punishment  which  God  can  inflict  upon 
the  sinner.  It  is  the  almost  infallible  presage  of 
eternal  damnation.  Even  the  Saints  dreaded  noth- 
ing more  than  that  the  Saviour,  to  punish  their 
smaller  faults  and  infidelities,  might  no  longer 
speak  to  them  in  inward  impulses  and  inspirations 
or  through  the  voice  of  conscience.  ' '  0  my  God, ' ' 
they  therefore  prayed,  "be  not  Thou  silent  to  me: 
lest  if  Thou  be  silent  to  me,  I  become  like  them 
that  go  down  into  the  pit. ' '  ^    We  should  pray  in 

iSt.  Luke,  ix.,  7,  8. 
2  Psalms,  xxvii.,  1. 


CHRIST  BEFOEE  HEROD  173 

like  manner,  but  we  should  also  order  our  lives  in 
accordance  with  the  words  addressed  to  us  directly 
by  God  Himself  or  indirectly  through  the  voice  of 
His  representatives. 

Herod,  therefore,  found  himself  thoroughly  foiled 
in  his  expectations.  He  felt  his  mortification  so 
much  more  because  it  took  place  before  such  a 
distinguished  assembly,  before  his  court,  even  be- 
fore the  chief-priests  and  scribes.  But  he  would 
not  issue  a  decree  of  death  in  a  strange  city,  out- 
side of  his  realm.  It  might  increase  the  ill  will  of 
many  well  disposed  Jews  who  had  not  yet  forgiven 
him  the  execution  of  the  Baptist  and  thus  entirely 
destroy  his  prospects  for  the  Jewish  throne.  But 
he  planned  revenge.     In  what  did  it  consist? 

III. 

We  cannot  suppose  that  Herod  will  treat  Christ 
as  did  the  common  Jews;  that,  like  to  the  chief- 
priests  and  scribes,  he  will  belabor  Him  with  two 
fists,  drag  Him  by  the  hair,  or  give  Him  kicks  and 
blows.  Oh  no,  for  that  he  was  too  much  of  a 
courtier,  he  belonged  to  the  aristocratic  and  edu- 
cated class.  Such  conduct  would  be  beneath  his 
dignity.  The  threefold  vengeance  which  he  took 
on  the  Redeemer  is  narrated  in  the  Holy  Scrip- 
tures in  the  following  words:  *' Herod  with  his 
army  set  him  at  naught :  and  mocked  him,  putting 
on  him  a  white  garment,  and  sent  him  back  to 
Pilate.'' 

First,  He  and  his  courtiers  set  Him  at  naught 
and   mocked   Him.     Herod   thought,    and   so   ex- 


174  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

pressed  himself  before  those  present,  that  an  ac- 
cused who  acted  as  did  this  man,  who  would  say 
nothing  in  his  own  defense,  who  would  do  nothing 
for  his  own  liberation,  who  would  not  answer  by 
a  single  word  the  questions  of  a  ruler  in  whose 
hands  his  life  lay,  could  not  possibly  have  his  wits 
about  him.  He  ought  to  be  in  an -asylum  for  the 
insane  rather  than  in  a  prison.  We  may  imagine 
that  peals  of  laughter  and  applause  from  the  royal 
family  and  others  present,  testified  to  the  wisdom 
of  the  king's  words.  But  we  hear  the  thundering 
voice  of  Isaias,  ''Woe  to  you  that  are  wise  in  your 
own  eyes,  and  prudent  in  your  own  conceits. ' '  ^ 
On  the  day  of  judgment  He  Whom  you  now  mock 
as  a  fool,  shall  put  to  shame  all  your  wisdom. 
**He  it  is,"  you  shall  cry,  "whom  we  had  some 
time  in  derision  and  for  a  parable  of  reproach. 
We  fools  esteemed  his  life  madness  and  his  end 
without  honor. "  ^  "  The  Lord  shall  then  laugh 
you  to  scorn.  And  you  shall  fall  after  this  with- 
out honor,  and  be  a  reproach  among  the  dead  for- 
ever. ' '  ^  Herod,  on  account  of  his  witty  remarks, 
deserved  to  be  looked  up  to  as  a  patron  by  lustful 
Voltaire  and  his  associates,  who  derided  all  that 
is  holy  and  divine  with  their  fine  sarcasm  and 
their  acrimonious  scorn. 

Then  he  had  Christ  clothed  in  a  white  garment. 
Among  the  Jews,  madmen  were  clad  in  white,  so 
that  passers-by  could  see  that  they  were  mentally 

1  Isaias,  v.,  21. 
2Wisd.,   v.,    3-5. 
8  Ibid.,  iv.,  18,  19. 


CHRIST  BEFORE  HEROD  175 

weak.     Among  the  Romans  white  garments  were 
worn  by  those  who  aspired  to  some  office.     Indeed, 
to  aspire  to  office  also  borders  on  madness,  at  least 
when,  as  often  happens  in  some  localities,  months 
are  spent  in  purchasing  votes  with  money  and  by 
dispensing    intoxicating    drinks.     It    is    certainly 
not  a  proof  of  overmuch  sense  nor  of  qualifica- 
tion  for   the   office.     But    Christ,    as   the    charge 
went,  aspired  to  the  crown  of  Judea.     For  several 
reasons,  then,  Herod  had  the  garment  of  a  fool 
put  on  Christ — and  the  Redeemer  did  not  resist. 
O  ye  heavens !     The  Son  of  God  in  the  white  robe 
of  a  visionary,  of  an  ambitious  office  seeker,  the 
thrice  Holy  One  in  the  robe  of  a  hungry  politi- 
cian, Infinite  Wisdom  in  the  garment  of  a  fool! 
It   is  indeed   a  scene   that  defies   all   description. 
Holy  Church   conceived  that  she  could  offer  no 
better  atonement  for  this  disgrace  than  by  sharing 
its  ignominy  and  making  her  servants  appear  at 
the  altar  in  long  white  robes. 

Lastly,  Herod  sent  Him  back  to  Pilate,  clad, 
as  He  was,  in  the  robe  of  a  fool.  He  sent  Him 
back  when  the  day  was  already  far  advanced  and 
when  thousands  were  upon  the  streets  and  filled 
the  air  with  cries  of  irony  and  shouts  of  diabol- 
ical rejoicing.  AYhat  a  cruel  revenge!  What  a 
terrible  humiliation!  What  a  sad  Corpus  Christi 
procession!  It  is  indeed  meet  and  just  that  the 
same  Christ,  veiled  under  the  appearance  of  bread, 
be  borne  annually  in  festive  march,  as  in  triumph, 
through  the  streets  of  cities  and  villages.  It 
is  indeed  meet  and  just  that  He  be  greeted  with 


176  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

enthusiastic  songs  of  praise  and  hymns  of  thanks- 
giving to  make  Him  forget,  as  it  were,  the  wrong 
done  Him  in  that  ignominious  procession.  It  was 
ordered  by  a  king.  Ye  kings  and  emperors,  re- 
deem the  honor  of  your  station  and  accompany 
with  your  entire  court,  humbly  and  devoutly,  the 
Most  Blessed  Sacrament. 

When  the  chief-priests  came  back  with  Christ 
to  Pilate,  they  delivered  to  the  latter  the  thanks 
and  best  wishes  and  polite  compliments  of  Herod 
together  with  the  assurance  of  his  distinguished 
consideration  and  entire  devotedness.  For  the 
Gospel  says  that  **  Herod  and  Pilate  were  made 
friends  that  same  day,  for  before  they  were  ene- 
mies one  to  another."  Similar  occurrences  take 
place  nowadays.  In  the  halls  of  legislatures,  god- 
less parties  may  antagonize  each  other  in  con- 
tinued strife,  the  dark  powers  of  this  world  may 
attack  each  other  with  bloody  weapons;  in  the 
hatred  of  Christ  they  are  a  unit.  When  the  alarm 
is  sounded  for  an  attack  on  the  Catholic  Church, 
they  shake  hands  and  form  a  brotherly  pact. 

Herod,  then,  had  a  desire  to  see  Our  Divine 
Saviour  and  to  speak  with  Him.  In  itself,  this  de- 
sire was  praiseworthy.  Who  of  us  would  not 
nourish  the  same  desire?  If  so,  our  desire  can 
be  satisfied.  But  we  must  use  the  right  means. 
''The  Lord's  communication  is  with  the  simple,'' 
says  Holy  Writ.^  Let  us  be  simple,  humble,  of  a 
believing  heart,  and  Christ  will  speak  to  us.     The 

iProv.,  iii.,  32. 


CHRIST  BEFORE  HEROD  177 

simple,  those  of  child-like  faith,  can  hold  converse 
with  Him  in  prayer  for  hours  and  never  grow 
weary.  For  they  need  not  carry  on  all  the  conver- 
sation themselves.  Christ  speaks  to  them  and  an- 
swers all  their  questions.  If  furthermore  we 
wish  to  see  Christ,  we  know  that  ''blessed  are  the 
pure  of  heart,  for  they  shall  see  God.''^  We 
should,  therefore,  avoid  even  the  shadow  of  im- 
purity. We  must  preserve  our  hearts  pure  and 
stainless,  and  we  shall  see  God.  Yea,  even  more. 
We  shall  then  see  miracles  of  the  Saviour,  wonders 
of  His  Power,  wonders  of  His  Mercy,  wonders  of 
His  Love,  both  here  and  in  the  next  world. 

1  St.  Matthew,  v.,  8. 


CHAPTER  Xiy. 

CHRIST  AND  BARABBAS 

"  But  the  whole  multitude  together 
cried    out,    saying:    Away   with    this 
man  and  release  unto  us  Barabbas.'* 
(St.  Luke,  xxiii.,  18.) 

The  effort  of  Pilate  to  rid  himself  of  the  un- 
pleasant trial  and  to  hand  the  case  over  to  oth- 
ers had  proven  a  failure.  Herod  had  sent  Christ 
back  to  him^  and  thus  Pilate  had  to  reassume  the 
case  by  virtue  of  his  office.  Standing  in  the  vesti- 
bule of  the  palace,  he  first  called  together  not 
only  the  chief-priests  and  ancients,  but  the  en- 
tire people,  of  whose  attachment  to  Jesus  he  was 
well  aware.  Then  he  again  declared  in  a  solemn 
tone,  *'You  have  presented  unto  me  this  man,  as 
one  that  perverteth  the  people,  and  behold,  I  have 
examined  him  before  you. ' '  ^  Pilate  could  truth- 
fully say  these  last  words,  inasmuch  as  he  per- 
sonally did  not  wish  to  have  a  secret  hearing. 
That  the  high-priests,  during  the  trial,  remained 
outside,  was  their  own  doing.  Pilate  then  con- 
tinued: ''I  find  no  cause  in  this  man  touching 
those  things  wherein  you  accuse  him.  No,  nor 
Herod  neither.     For  I  sent  you  to  him,  and  be- 

1  St.  Luke,  xxiii.,  14-16. 

178 


CHRIST  AND  BARABBAS  179 

hold,  nothing  worthy  of  death  is  done  to  him." 
Thus  far,  his  address  was  excellent.  But  Pilate 
noticed  how  the  chief-priests  and,  at  their  insti- 
gation, the  scribes  also,  were  working  themselves 
into  a  gradually  increasing  excitement  and  frenzy 
of  which  they  gave  evidence  by  threatening  ges- 
tures and  clenching  of  fists.  For  it  angered  and 
provoked  them  to  be  reminded  by  Pilate,  in  pres- 
ence of  the  whole  people,  of  their  disgraceful 
fiasco  before  Herod  and  to  perceive  that  he  had 
the  word  of  liberation  on  the  tip  of  his  tongue. 
Then  Pilate  lost  his  cue.  If  the  popular  excite- 
ment increased  and  developed  into  a  general  re- 
volt, something  readily  to  be  feared  among  the 
Jews,  it  might  prove  very  embarrassing  to  the 
governor,  especially  now  during  the  festival  of 
the  Passover.  In  order,  therefore,  to  appease  the 
prominent  people  and  to  calm  the  lower  classes, 
he  conceived  the  sudden  idea  of  making  some 
concessions,  wherefore  he  added  the  singular  con- 
clusion: *'I  will  chastise  him  therefore,  and  re- 
lease him."  But,  before  he  could  give  more  minute 
directions  regarding  the  chastisement,  the  people, 
to  his  great  satisfaction,  reminded  him  of  an- 
other expedient  which  he  immediately  made  use 
of. 

We  shall  therefore  consider  ^ 
I.     The  effort  of  Pilate  to  release  Christ  and 

II.     Its  result. 

iSt.  Matthew,  xxvii.,    15-23;    St.  Mark,  xv.,  6-14;    St. 
Luke,  xxiii.,  17-22;  St.  John,  xviii.,  39,  40. 


180  HISTOKY  OF  THE  PASSION 


*'Now  upon  the  solemn  day/*  narrates  St. 
Matthew,  'Hhe  governor  was  accustomed  to  re- 
lease to  the  people  one  prisoner,  whom  they 
would."  The  origin  of  this  custom  cannot  be 
stated  with  certainty.  According  to  some  com- 
mentators it  was  a  very  ancient  custom  to  select, 
on  the  eve  of  the  paschal  feast,  some  criminal  or 
other,  and,  in  commemoration  of  the  deliverance 
from  Egyptian  thraldom,  to  open  unto  him,  at 
the  beginning  of  the  feast  day,  the  doors  of  the 
prison.  The  remaining  criminals  were  then  exe- 
cuted in  warning  example,  as  were  the  two  thieves 
this  year.  It  is  said  that  later  on  the  Roman  gov- 
ernors very  willingly  accommodated  themselves 
to  this  custom,  partly  not  to  offend  the  people 
and  partly  because  they  had  observed  the  same 
custom  in  Rome,  where  the  emperors,  when  in 
good  humor,  would  grant  pardons  and  amnesties 
on  the  feasts  of  the  gods.  However,  other  com- 
mentators are  of  the  opinion  that  the  governors 
themselves  granted  the  people  this  privilege  in 
order  to  indemnify  them  somewhat  for  the  loss  of 
their  judiciary  power  and  to  nullify  the  bad  feel- 
ings resulting  from  this  loss.  The  proper  under- 
standing between  the  Jews  and  the  governor  was 
arrived  at  on  the  eve  of  the  feast. 

The  people  were  reminded  of  this  custom  by  the 
words  of  Pilate,  "I  will  release  him."  Then 
they  began  to  shout  and  to  beg  that  he  do  as  he 
always  had  done.     Some  of  the  crowd  undoubtedly 


CHRIST  AND  BARABBAS  181 

begged  thus  in  favor  of  the  Redeemer,  whose  lib- 
eration they  desired  and  began  to  hope  for.  But 
most  of  them  thought  of  no  such  a  thing.  Of  the 
entire  address  of  Pilate,  which  contained  a  two- 
fold declaration  of  Christ's  innocence,  they  had 
caught  only  the  word  '^ release."  Without,  there- 
fore, giving  a  thought  to  the  main  question  and 
with  a  view  only  to  their  privilege,  they  reminded 
Pilate  of  the  old  custom. 

Pilate  readily  accepted  their  proposition.  But, 
in  order  to  be  more  sure  of  his  object,  he  pro- 
posed to  the  choice  of  the  people,  besides  Christ 
only  one  other,  and  a  most  notorious  criminal  at 
that,  Barabbas  by  name.  The  Gospel  does  not 
mention  whether  or  not  he  was  brought  from 
prison  and  placed  opposite  to  Christ.  The  evange- 
lists delineate  the  character  of  Barabbas  in  the 
darkest  colors  and  in  the  most  forbidding  manner. 
St.  Mark  and  St.  Luke  testify  that  in  a  sedition 
he  had  committed  a  murder,  according  to  St. 
John  he  was  a  murderer,  and  St.  Matthew  calls 
him  a  notorious  murderer.  He  was  a  pest  to  the 
country,  a  scourge  of  Judea,  an  abomination  to  all 
Jews.  Now,  thought  Pilate,  it  cannot  go  amiss. 
The  people,  who  for  the  most  part  were  attached 
to  Christ,  would  certainly  not  give  the  preference 
to  an  arch-fiend.  Under  this  impression  he  said 
to  them,  "You  have  a  custom  that  I  should  re- 
lease one  unto  you  at  the  pasch :  will  you,  therefore, 
that  I  release  unto  you  the  king  of  the  Jews?" 

The  question  was  well  put.  Pilate,  as  yet, 
made  no  mention  of  Barabbas.     He  merely  pro- 


182  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

posed  Christ  and,  to  stimulate  the  sense  of  honor 
of  the  Jews,  he  honored  Him  with  the  title  of 
King  of  the  Jews.  Their  national  pride,  he  hoped, 
would  cause  them  to  demand  without  delay  the 
release  of  their  king.  But  no  answer  followed. 
Pilate  therefore  had  to  ask  further,  ''Whom  will 
you  that  I  release  to  you,  Barabbas,  or  Jesus  that 
is  called  Christ?  "  Now  the  fall  of  Pilate  is 
rapid.  The  means  he  employed  to  liberate  Christ 
were  entirely  unworthy  as  far  as  moral  value  was 
concerned.  He  proposed  Jesus  and  Barabbas  for 
the  choice,  and  therefore  for  the  comparison,  of  the 
people.  But  every  comparison  presupposes  a 
certain  similarity.  It  was  as  if  he  had  said:  I 
have  here  two  criminals;  which  of  the  two  ^all 
I  release?  This  means  deserved  to  be  rejected 
because,  even  if  favorable  to  Christ,  it  would  not 
redeem  His  honor.  On  account  of  the  comparison 
there  would  always  remain  attached  to  His  name 
the  stain  that  He  had  obtained  His  freedom,  not 
because  of  His  innocence,  but  because  of  popular 
favor  or  because  of  being  the  lesser  of  two  crim- 
inals. His  whole  career  as  a  popular  preacher 
would,  humanly  speaking,  have  thereby  been 
ruined. 

Before  it  came  to  a  choice.  Almighty  God 
granted  Pilate  a  great  grace.  Whilst  he  was  sit- 
ting on  the  judge's  bench,  that  is,  on  an  elevated 
seat  in  the  vestibule,  a  messenger  suddenly  en- 
tered who  said  to  him  in  the  name  of  his  wife, 
"  Have  thou  nothing  to  do  with  that  just  man. 
For  I  have  suffered  many  things  this  day  in  a 


CHRIST  AND  BARABBAS  183 

dream  because  of  him. ' '  Probably  God  had  shown 
this  woman  the  misery  in  which  her  husband  would 
involve  himself,  should  he  not  release  the  Sav- 
iour. Had  Pilate  himself  received  this  revelatior 
from  God,  the  Jews  might  claim  that  it  was  an 
excuse  invented  by  him.  And  perhaps  he  himself 
would  have  considered  it  an  idle  dream  and  have 
said  nothing  about  it. 

The  message  of  Pilate's  wife  was  well  consid- 
ered. Claudia  Procula,  such  was  her  name,  first 
addressed  Pilate  in  his  capacity  as  judge,  who 
durst  not  condemn  an  innocent  man.  Then  she 
addressed  him  as  her  husband.  She  urged  him  to 
be  courageous  enough  to  liberate  Christ  out  of 
love  for  her,  to  spare  her  new  sufferings.  And 
Christ  amply  rewarded  the  good  will  of  this  noble- 
minded,  although  pagan  woman.  After  the  un- 
fortunate death  of  her  husband,  who  committed 
suicide,  Claudia  embraced  Christianity  and,  it  is 
said,  died  in  the  odor  of  sanctity.^  But  Pilate 
set  aside  the  warning  of  his  wife  and  let  the  peo- 
ple proceed  to  a  choice.  Probably  he  entertained 
confident  hopes  of  a  favorable  result.  What  was 
the  result? 

II. 

The  result  would  probably  have  been  favorable 
if  the  high-priests  and  ancients  had  not  moved 
about  among  the  people,  urging  them  on  and  per- 
suading them  to  demand  the  release  of  Barabbas. 
They  found  the  desirable  time  and  occasion  for 

1  See  note  11. 


184  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

this  purpose  whilst  Pilate  was  busy  with  the  mes- 
senger sent  by  his  wife.  Do  you  not  perceive, 
said  some,  the  trap  which  Pilate  has  slyly  set  for 
us?  Whom  shall  I  release  unto  you,  he  has  asked, 
Jesus,  King  of  the  Jews,  or  Bar  abbas  f  If  we  give 
our  suffrage  to  Jesus,  we  declare  thereby  that  he 
is  our  King  and  that  we  acknowledge  Him  as 
such.  Then  woe  to  us  and  our  city.  A  murderer, 
said  others,  is,  at  any  rate,  better  than  a  blas- 
phemer or  a  false  prophet.  For  if  He  were  really 
the  Son  of  God,  He  would  before  this  have  re- 
leased Himself.  Besides,  His  own  disciples  must 
consider  Him  an  impostor  or  they  w^ould  not  have 
abandoned  Him.  Vote,  said  others  again,  for  the 
death  of  Christ  in  order  that  His  deceit  be  brought 
to  light,  if  He  arise  not  on  the  third  day.  If  He 
is  to  rise  again.  He  must  first  be  put  to  death. 
Then,  if  He  arises,  we  shall  believe  in  Him. 
Barabbas,  they  continued,  is  indeed  a  bad  man, 
but  sad  experience  has  probably  reformed  him, 
and  he  will  always  be  grateful  to  us.  But  Christ, 
even  if  you  release  Him,  will  always  harbor  ill 
feelings  against  you  and  charge  you  with  the  in- 
sults heaped  upon  Him.  You  have  destroyed  the 
possibility  of  being  in  favor  with  Him  in  any 
event. 

Whilst  the  messenger  of  his  wife  was  depart- 
ing, Pilate,  as  an  answer  to  his  message,  again 
asked  the  people,  **  Whether  will  you  of  the  two 
to  be  released  unto  you?  The  whole  multitude 
together  cried  out,  saying:  Not  this  man,  but 
Barabbas."     Away    with    this    man    and    release 


CHRIST  AND  BARABBAS  185 

unto  us  Barabbas.  They  feared,  it  appears,  that 
Pilate  would  release  both.  The  chief-priests  could 
now  be  well  satisfied  with  the  result  of  their  agita- 
tion. But  they  forfeited  the  right  to  charge  the 
Redeemer  with  being  a  disturber  of  the  people. 

Some  of  the  people  shouted  because  they,  in 
good  faith,  believed  Christ  to  be  a  great  crimi- 
nal. "Our  priests,"  thought  others,  "un- 
doubtedly propose  what  is  right;  they  understand 
the  matter  better  than  Pilate,  the  pagan,  or  than 
we  understand  it."  Others  shouted  out  of  fear. 
They  feared  the  emperor;  they  feared  the  chief- 
priests,  they  feared  a  sedition,  they  feared  Christ 
Himself  and  His  rebukes  and  warning  look  which 
they  would  avoid  for  all  time.  Others  again 
wished  to  furnish  Christ  with  the  opportunity  to 
perform  His  crowning  miracle,  the  resurrection. 
Finally,  many  shouted  because  they  heard  the 
others  shout. 

0  ungrateful,  faithless,  shameless  synagogue! 
Thus  dost  thou  repel  thy  Divine  Bridegroom,  the 
Chosen  of  millions,  and  thou  choosest  for  a  bride- 
groom a  murderer,  dragged  from  the  scum  and 
dregs  of  the  slums.  Truly  it  is  thine  own  fault, 
for  which  thou  art  responsible,  that  forty  years 
later  thy  adherents  shall  fall  victims  to  murder- 
ers in  an  awful  massacre. 

How  fickle  and  inconstant  are  the  masses! 
How  little  in  harmony  with  the  solemn  Hosan- 
nas  and  Benedictus  is  the  cry,  "Not  this  man, 
but  Barabbas  release  unto  us."  And  thus  it  hap- 
pens.    No  matter  how  well  meaning  the   people 


186  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

may  be,  a  few  disturbers  and  agitators  suffice,  by 
revolutionary  speeches,  by  threats  and  promises, 
to  make  them  vote  and  act  against  their  con- 
sciences, so  much  so  that  they  allow  themselves 
to  be  drawn  to  the  meanest  acts  of  violence  against 
Holy  Church  and  her  ordained  ministers. 
Therefore  he  is  a  fool  who  builds  on  popular  fa- 
vor or  who  relies  on  it. 

The  choice  of  the  Jewish  people,  preferring 
Barabbas  to  the  Redeemer,  can  be  viewed  from 
three  standpoints.  If  we,  before  all,  cast  our 
glance  on  the  mysterious  workings  of  Divine 
Providence,  the  choice  appears  to  us  as  the  ex- 
pression of  Divine  Justice.  To  Almighty  God,  at 
this  moment.  His  only  begotten  Son  was  respon- 
sible for  greater  guilt  and  therefore  subject  to 
greater  punishment  than  the  great  criminal  Barab- 
bas. Certainly,  Christ,  the  innocent  Lamb  of 
God,  the  Holiest  of  holy  ones,  was  free  from  all 
personal  sin.  But  God  had  laid  upon  Him  the 
sins  of  the  whole  world.  In  comparison  with  this 
mountain  of  sins  upon  the  shoulders  of  Christ, 
rising  up  through  the  clouds  of  heaven,  the  dread- 
ful crimes  of  Barabbas  were  as  small  as  a  grain 
of  sand.  The  latter  had  on  his  conscience  only  his 
personal  sins,  whilst  Christ  carried  the  sins  of 
the  entire  world. 

The  choice  of  the  people  was,  in  the  second 
place,  the  expression  of  Divine  Love  for  us.  What, 
indeed,  would  it  have  availed  us  had  Barabbas 
died  and  Christ  been  released?  "Let  my  Son 
die,"  said  the  heavenly  Father,  "but  all  sinners, 


CHRIST  AND  BARABBAS  187 

represented  by  Barabbas,  shall  be  saved." 
Therefore  Holy  Church  sings  in  exultant  grati- 
tude, "To  redeem  the  servant,  Thou  hast  de- 
livered to  death  Thy  Son.  O  admirable  conde- 
scension of  Thy  Divine  Goodness!  0  inestimable 
proof  of  Thy  Love." 

But  if  we  consider  the  choice  in  as  far  as  it 
concerns  those  who  made  it  and  Him  Whom  it 
affected,  it  is  for  the  choosers  a  perpetual  stain 
of  dishonor,  and  for  the  Redeemer,  rejected  and 
voted  down  by  them,  a  nameless  ignominy.  It 
was  indeed  an  awful  offense  against  the  Son  of 
God  when  the  rebel  angels  preferred  Lucifer, 
their  leader,  to  Him.  The  offense  was  so  great 
that  Divine  Justice  immediately  relegated  them 
to  the  eternal  tortures  of  hell.  But,  at  least,  it 
was  an  angel  who  was  preferred  to  Christ;  it  was 
the  highest,  the  most  perfect  of  all  angels,  en- 
dowed with  the  grandest  gifts  of  nature  and  of 
grace.  But  in  this  case,  Christ  had  to  yield  to 
a  robber  and  murderer.  The  ignominy  wounded 
the  Heart  of  Christ  so  much  the  more  because, 
among  those  who  rejected  Him,  many  had  par- 
taken of  His  abundant  benefits  and  had  experi- 
enced in  their  own  persons  His  miraculous  pow- 
ers. But  the  humble  heart  of  Jesus  was  glad  to 
be  able  again  to  offer  a  sacrifice  to  God. 

The  result  of  the  choice  came  upon  Pilate  like 
a  clap  of  thunder.  He  beheld  all  his  hopes  de- 
stroyed and  the  case  more  difficult  than  ever  be- 
fore. As  if  in  agony,  he  cried  out  to  the  Jews, 
**What  shall  I  do  then  with  Jesus  that  is  called 


188  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

the  Christ?  "  It  is  strange,  Pilate,  that,  being 
a  judge,  thou  shouldst  not  know  what  to  do  with 
an  accused  person  who  has  been  found  innocent. 
Art  thou  indeed  so  blinded?  There  remains  noth- 
ing for  thee  to  do  but  to  release  both  Him  and 
Barabbas :  the  latter  as  a  paschal  gift  to  the  Jews, 
and  the  Redeemer,  because  of  His  innocence. 
Thou  shouldst  be  ashamed  of  thy  words,  *'What 
shall  I  do  with  Jesus?"  Is  Jesus,  then,  such  a 
trifling,  unimportant,  contemptible  and  useless 
person  that  one  knows  not  what  to  do  with  Him? 
Declare  Him  innocent.  Then  crave  His  pardon 
and  ask  Him  again,  but  this  time  with  holy 
earnestness,  ''What  is  truth?"  Pay  attention, 
then,  and  listen  seriously  to  every  word  that  pro- 
ceeds from  His  mouth.  Keep  it  in  thy  heart  and 
arrange  thy  life  according  to  it.  Behold  what 
thou  shouldst  do  with  Jesus. 

But  Pilate  knew  not  what  to  do  with  Jesus. 
Had  he  but  asked  his  conscience !  Instead,  he 
asked  the  people,  the  enemies  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Then  the  high-priests  began  to  shout,  ''Crucify 
Him. ' '  And,  as  out  of  one  mouth,  the  cry  resounded 
in  a  loud  chorus,  "Crucify  Him!  crucify  Him!" 
In  vain  were  now  all  the  declarations  of  the  Sav- 
iour's innocence  on  the  part  of  Pilate,  in  vain  all 
the  attempts  to  release  Him,  in  vain  even  the 
promise  to  chastise  Him.  Again  and  again,  amid 
ever  increasing  tumult,  the  cry  resounded,  "Let 
Him  be  crucified!  crucify  Him!  " 

In  this  dilemma,  Pilate  resumed  his  former  idea 
of  calming  the  excited  people  by  a  concession  at 


CHRIST  AND  BAEABBAS  189 

the  expense  of  the  Redeemer.  But  he  realized  that 
a  trivial  chastisement  would  no  longer  be  suffi- 
cient to  pacify  the  Jews.  He  therefore  resolved 
to  subject  Him  to  the  terrible  punishment  of 
flagellation.  Thereby,  he  hoped,  the  chief-priests 
and  the  people  would  be  satisfied  and  would  re- 
frain from  insisting  on  further  punishment.  It 
is  indeed  a  rather  uncommon  manner  of  admin- 
istering justice  and  a  rather  curious  system  of 
logic  which  permits  one  to  humor  the  accusers 
by  administering  bloody  stripes  to  the  accused 
with  a  view  to  releasing  him  afterwards.  And 
Pilate  delivered  Him  to  the  soldiers  that  He  be 
scourged.  On  account  of  this  command  the  ex- 
citement of  the  people  was  somewhat  calmed  and, 
for  the  nonce,  the  storm  was  quieted. 

We  wax  wroth  at  Pilate  for  having  compared 
Christ  with  a  murderer,  we  are  indignant  with 
the  Jews  for  having  preferred  Barabbas  to  the 
Son  of  God.  And  it  is  right  that  we  do  so.  But 
does  the  soul  not  inflict  a  similar  outrage  on  the 
Saviour,  when  she  places  alongside  of  Him  the 
lustful  pleasures  of  life,  earthly  treasures,  human 
praise  and  favor,  and  then  remains  undecided  as 
to  where  to  give  the  preference.  And  when  the 
scales  then  sink  to  the  Lord's  disadvantage,  and 
when  man  chooses  the  slavery  of  passion  instead 
of  the  sweet  yoke  of  Christ,  hell  instead  of  heaven, 
Satan  instead  of  the  All-holy  God,  is  this  not,  in 
fact,  even  a  greater  outrage?  *'Be  astonished,  0 
ye  heavens,  *'  exclaims  the  prophet  Jeremias  (ii., 
12,  13),  *'at  this,  and  ye  gates  thereof,  be  very 


190  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

desolate.  For  my  people  have  done  two  evils. 
They  have  forsaken  me,  the  fountain  of  living 
water,  and  have  digged  to  themselves  cisterns, 
broken  cisterns,  that  can  hold  no  water.'' 

May  such  an  ingratitude  be  far  removed  from 
us.  Out  from  among  millions  of  human  beings, 
the  Saviour  has  chosen  us  to  be  members  of  His 
Holy  Church  and  to  partake  of  His  abundant 
benefits.  He  has  sanctified  us  in  baptism,  He  has 
nourished  us  with  His  Sacred  Flesh  and  Most 
Precious  Blood.     To  our  souls  has  He  said: 

What  then,  in  heaven  and  upon  earth,  shall  we 
choose  outside  of  God?  May  the  Lord  be  our  in- 
heritance—  may  God  be  the  God  of  our  hearts 
and  our  portion  forever. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE    SCOURGING    OF    CHRIST 

"  Then       therefore       Pilate       took 
Jesus,  and  scourged  him." 

(St.  John,  xix.,   1.) 

As  soon  as  Pilate  had  communicated  to  the  peo- 
ple his  intention  of  having  Christ  scourged  and 
had  given  a  command  to  this  effect,  he  retired  as 
quickly  as  possible  from  the  raging  multitude 
and  went  to  the  inner  part  of  the  court-building. 
The  scourging  took  place  in  an  enclosed  court- 
yard in  the  rear  of  the  building.  The  evangelists 
do  not  describe  the  flagellation.  They  merely 
say,  "Then  Pilate  took  Jesus  and  scourged  him/' 
Everybody  knew  full  well  what  that  meant.  May- 
hap the  description  of  details  was  too  painful  for 
them.  But  for  the  solace  of  Our  Saviour  and  for 
the  benefit  of  our  souls,  we  shall  consider  more 
minutely  this  incident  and  its  various  circum- 
stances.    Let  us  consider,  then, 

I.     The  scourging  in  itself;  and 

II.     The  special  reasons  why  Christ  wished  to 
endure  it. 


The  flagellation  was  to  the  Saviour  very  humili- 
ating  and,  at  the  same  time,  very  painful.    That  it 
191 


192  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

was  humiliating,  may  be  deduced  from  three  cir- 
cumstances. In  the  first  place,  the  scourging  was 
done  by  the  Roman  soldiers,  and  therefore  ac- 
cording to  Roman,  not  Jewish,  usage.  But  scourg- 
ing, when  applied  not  only  with  rods  but  with 
whips  or  still  more  cruel  instruments,  was  usually 
administered  only  to  slaves,  that  is,  to  persons 
who  at  that  time  were  no  longer  considered  as 
human  beings;  to  creatures  who  were  ranked  be- 
low the  brute;  to  creatures  who  were  accustomed 
to  all  manner  of  disdain  and  contempt;  whose 
feelings  were,  by  bad  treatment,  rendered  so 
coarse  and  stunted  that  only  the  most  cruel  and 
degrading  punishments  could  make  any  impression 
upon  them.  When  scourging  was  applied  to  free- 
born  men,  they  were  culprits  who  had  committed 
such  extraordinary  and  fearful  crimes  that  they 
forfeited  all  right  to  consideration  and  humane 
treatment.  It  is  self-evident  that  they  were  to  be 
found  guilty  before  this  punishment  was  admin- 
istered. It  was  especially  a  Roman  custom  to 
scourge  those  who  were  condemned  to  be  cruci- 
fied. 

This  punishment  which  degraded  its  victim  to 
the  level  of  a  slave  or  of  the  most  abject  criminal, 
was  now  imposed,  not  upon  the  son  of  an  ordinary 
Roman  citizen,  but  upon  Jesus,  the  son  of  David, 
the  scion  of  a  royal  family,  in  whose  veins  coursed 
royal  blood;  upon  Jesus,  the  Son  of  the  purest 
Virgin  Mary,  the  Son  of  the  future  Queen  of 
heaven  and  of  earth;  upon  'Jesus,  the  only  begot- 


THE  SCOURGING  OF  CHRIST  193 

ten  Son  of  the  King  of  kings;  upon  Jesus,  the 
Son  of  God,  in  Whom  was  hidden  all  the  fullness 
of  the  Godhead,  all  the  dignity  and  majesty  of  the 
Divine  Being.  And  all  this,  notwithstanding  the 
fact  that  the  judge  had  himself  testified  to  the 
innocence  of  Christ. 

The  fact  that  the  scourging  was  done  in  public, 
made  the  humiliation  of  the  Redeemer  so  much 
more  poignant.  To  understand  this  better,  we 
must  remember  that  in  the  Heart  of  Jesus  all  hu- 
man feelings  existed  in  their  utmost  perfection. 
This  Heart  was  in  no  wise  insensible  to  injury; 
It  felt  most  keenly  every  insult;  Its  sense  of 
honor  was  extremely  delicate.  And  if  there  be 
no  greater  mortification  for  a  high-spirited  child 
than  to  be  punished  before  others;  if  it  would 
rather  take  a  double  amount  of  chastisement  pro- 
vided it  be  spared  the  public  humiliation;  what 
must  have  been  the  feelings  of  the  noblest  of  all 
hearts?  It  need  hardly  be  mentioned  that  dur- 
ing the  public  flagellation,  the  Redeemer  was  the 
butt  of  the  lowest  jests  and  of  the  most  vulgar 
wit.  ''That  was  a  good  stroke,"  we  may  imagine 
that  one  cried.  "Hit  harder,"  shouted  another. 
''This  will  bring  him  to  time,"  roared  a  third, 
and  thus  it  continued. 

The  greatest  humiliation  of  Christ,  however, 
arose  from  the  fact  that,  according  to  Roman 
usage.  He  was  stripped  of  all  clothing  with  the 
exception  of  the  loin  covering.  Once  upon  a 
time,  after  a  similar  humiliation,  David  had  ex- 

13 


194  HISTOKY  OF  THE  PASSION 

claimed,  as  if  carried  away  by  sorrow,  "They 
have  looked  and  stared  upon  me. "  ^  "  The  con- 
fusion of  my  face  hath  covered  me. "  ^  "  And 
they  opened  their  mouth  wide  against  me;  they 
said:  Well  done,  well  done,  our  eyes  have  seen 
it. "  ^  When,  in  later  centuries,  chaste  Virgins, 
a  St.  Agnes  and  a  St.  Barbara,  had  to  endure  the 
same  mortification,  heaven  enveloped  them  in  such 
a  wonderful  light  that  they  became,  as  it  were,  in- 
visible. When  others  were  about  to  be  disrobed, 
they  fell  dead  on  the  ground  from  terror  and 
fright.  But  the  purest  Son  of  the  purest  Virgin 
had  to  drain  this  cup  to  the  very  dregs.  He  had 
to  submit  to  be  stared  at  by  a  low,  impudent 
crowd,  by  lustful  eyes,  just  as  a  shameless  person 
in  a  museum.  This  torture  of  being  ignominiously 
disrobed  was  without  doubt  one  of  the  greatest  in 
all  His  passion.  What  trembling,  what  convul- 
sions in  His  entire  Body  from  shame  and  confu- 
sion !  How  He  longed  for  the  fool 's  garment  with 
which  Herod  had  clothed  Him!  There  was  only 
one  relieving  feature  in  this  suffering:  the  in- 
numerable lashes  which  cut  His  flesh,  soon  dis- 
figured His  Body  to  such  an  extent  that  it  lost  all 
appearance  of  being  human. 

The  scourging,  then,  was  humiliating,  but  be- 
sides, it  was  very  painful.  Considered  by  itself, 
the  Roman  flagellation  was  something  dreadful 
and    terrible.      After    the    unfortunate    victim's 

1  Psalms,   xxi.,    18. 

2  Ibid.,    xliii.,    16. 

3  Ibid.,  xxxiv.,  21. 


THE  SCOURGING  OF  CHRIST  195 

hands,  feet  and  neck  were  bound  to  the  piUar  so 
tightly  that  a  move  was  hardly  possible,  six  strong 
and  muscular  soldiers  approached  and,  in  pairs, 
they  beat  the  culprit  with  thorny  clubs,  with 
lashes  interwoven  with  wire,  and  with  thin,  iron 
chains.  The  number  of  lashes  was  not  fixed.  It 
lasted  until  the  voluptuous  cruelty  of  the  specta- 
tors, used  to  such  bloody  exhibitions,  was  satiated. 
Not  infrequently  it  happened  that  slaves  expired 
under  this  torture.  However,  for  various  rea- 
sons the  flagellation  was  more  painful  to  Jesus 
than  to  others.  In  the  first  place,  the  Sacred 
Body  of  Christ,  born  of  the  purest  Virgin  through 
a  miracle  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  was  undoubtedly 
more  refined  and  more  delicate,  and  therefore 
more  sensitive  than  the  bodies  of  sinners.  Then, 
to  better  attain  his  object  Pilate  had  probably  rec- 
ommended a  more  strenuous  scourging.  The  tor- 
turers, therefore,  used  all  their  strength.  Further- 
more, the  other  soldiers  continually  spurred  them 
on.  And  in  proportion  as  the  patience  and  meek- 
ness of  the  Divine  Lamb  of  Sacrifice  manifested 
themselves,  the  cruelty  of  the  torturers  increasd. 
As  often  happens  with  low-bred  villains,  the  meek- 
ness of  the  victim  infuriated  them  to  complete  mad- 
ness. They  would  ascertain  whether  or  not  they 
could  draw  from  Him  a  cry  of  anguish.  Finally, 
the  flagellation  of  Christ— and  this  was  the  main 
reason — was  so  cruel  because  the  anger  of  God  was 
incensed  against  Him.  For  God  saw  Him  covered 
with  the  sins  of  the  whole  world.  Many  opinions 
regarding  the  number  of  the  strokes  and  of  the 


196  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

drops  of  blood  shed  have  been  advanced  and  sup- 
ported by  visions  of  holy  persons.  To  form  a 
decision  on  that  point  is  by  no  means  necessary. 
I  say  with  St.  Augustine:  ''If,  according  to  Holy 
Writ,  every  sinner  deserves  many  strokes  of  the 
scourge,  how  many  did  not  the  innocent  Saviour 
deserve.  Who  had  taken  upon  Himself  the  thou- 
sands of  millions  of  sins  and  Who  now  was  to 
render  complete  satisfaction  to  Divine  Justice.'* 

At  last  a  halt  was  ordered,  and  the  cords  were 
cut.  Weak  and  fainting,  exhausted  by  the  loss  of 
blood,  the  Redeemer  fell  to  the  ground,  into  His 
own  Precious  Blood.  Had  He  been  the  Jew  who 
had  fallen  among  the  robbers,  perhaps  some  ten- 
der-hearted Samaritan  might  have  come  by  and 
poured  oil  and  wine  upon  His  wounds.  Had  He 
been  poor  Lazarus,  covered  with  bloody  ulcers, 
perhaps  some  dog  would  have  had  pity  on  Him. 
But  He  was  the  Son  of  God.  And  therefore,  ac- 
cording to  some  holy  fathers,  the  torturers  con- 
tinued to  beat  Him  as  He  weltered  in  His  Blood, 
and  they  mutilated  those  parts  of  His  Sacred 
Body  which  the  pillar  had  protected. 

But  why  is  He  divested  of  His  garments  Who 
dressed  the  firmament  with  stars  and  the  earth 
with  flowers?  Why  are  those  hands  so  cruelly 
bound  which  never  were  extended  except  to  offer 
benefits?  Why  those  feet  which  were  never  tired 
in  hastening  after  the  lost  sheep?  Why  is  that 
immaculate  Body  so  terribly  beaten  which  Christ, 
in  His  Love,  had  destined  to  be  the  nourishment 
of  our  souls?    Why  was  it  that  no  help  came  to 


THE  SCOURGIXG  OF  CHRIST  197 

Him  from  any  quarter;  neither  from  the  earth, 
which  almost  ravenously  drank  His  Precious 
Blood;  neither  from  the  angels,  who  in  apparent 
indifference,  looked  down  upon  the  scene;  neither 
from  His  heavenly  Father,  Who  rather  appeared 
to  increase  the  strength  which  the  menials  ap- 
plied to  His  Son.  Let  us  together  examine  the 
special  reason,  why  Christ  wished  to  endure  the 
lashes  of  the  scourge. 

IL 

In  the  first  place,  Christ  wished,  by  submitting 
to  the  flagellation,  to  atone  for  all  sins  of  impurity : 
for  the  sins  of  pagans,  for  the  sins  of  Chris- 
tians, for  the  sins  of  children,  for  the  sins  of  grow- 
ing youth,  for  the  sins  of  married  persons,  for  the 
sins  of  old  people,  for  the  sins  of  thought,  of  de- 
sire, in  look,  word  and  deed,  for  the  sins  of  all 
times  and  of  all  classes  of  men.  By  His  igno- 
minious disrobing,  He  wished  to  atone  especially 
for  those  sins  which  are  committed  and  provoked 
by  shameless  clothing.  Christ  thought  then  not 
only  of  such  persons  who,  as  slaves  of  lust  and 
open  libertines,  walk  barefacedly  the  way  of  vice; 
not  only  of  those  frivolous  women  who,  according 
to  the  custom  of  some  places,  walk  about  publicly, 
in  open  daylight,  in  such  scanty  costume  that 
every  one  who  loves  his  soul,  is  forced  to  cast 
down  his  eyes  in  fear.  But  He  thought  also  of 
those  Catholic  women  and  girls  who,  in  our  coun- 
try, notably  among  the  wealthier  and  more  prom- 
inent classes,  appear  on  certain  occasions,  at  least, 


198  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

in  attire  which  readily  provokes  and  begets  sin. 
Of  course,  it  is  then  claimed,  that  fashion  and  the 
custom  of  the  wealthy  excuse  and  justify  such 
a  scandal.  But,  even  if  it  were  the  fashion  of 
the  most  prominent  in  the  country,  it  is  a  fashion 
which  comes  from  the  devil  and  leads  to  the  devil. 
These  are  sins  and  customs  on  account  of  which 
Christ  suffered  Himself  to  be  disrobed  and 
scourged. 

Secondly,  He  would  give  us  an  idea  of  the 
hatred  God  entertains  for  the  vice  of  impurity. 
Almighty  God  had  done  a  great  many  things 
since  the  creation  to  bring  home  this  conviction 
to  mankind.  He  repented  of  having  created  man- 
kind and  He  engulfed  it  in  the  waters  of  the 
deluge.  He  destroyed  the  inhabitants  of  Sodom 
by  fire  from  heaven.  He  caused  24,000  men  to  be 
put  to  the  sword  for  having  sinned  with  the  daugh- 
ters of  the  Moabites.  Almost  the  entire  tribe  of 
Benjamin  was  violently  rooted  out,  in  punishment 
of  lustful  abominations.  Almighty  God  an- 
nounced through  Moses  ^  that  every  adulterer  and 
every  adulteress  should  be  stoned  by  the  people 
and  that  the  incestuous  should  be  burnt.  Great 
God!  If  these  penalties,  incomprehensible  to 
modern  legislation  which  flirts  with  sensual  lust, 
were  still  in  force,  how  often  would  we  not  be 
called  upon  to  go  out  the  gates  of  the  city  to  stone 
an  adulteress?  But  how  the  vice  of  impurity 
appears  to  the  eyes  of  God  is  shown  more  clearly 

iLevit.,  XX.,  10-15. 


THE  SCOURGING  OF  CHRIST  199 

and  definitely  by  Christ,  scourged  for  us,  than  by 
aU  the  Divine  judgments  and  the  Mosaic  Law  itself. 

Thirdly,  the  Saviour  wished  to  portray  vividly 
before  our  eyes  the  terrors  of  the  punishments  to 
be  inflicted  in  hell,  after  the  resurrection,  on  the 
bodies  of  those  who  shall  be  condemned  for  this 
vice.  Certainly  faith  teaches  us  that  the  bodies 
of  the  damned,  monsters  of  hideousness,  shall  burn 
in  eternal  flames.  In  vain  will  they  cry  out  for 
a  garment  to  cover  their  nakedness,  to  hide  from 
their  terrified  gaze  forever  the  rottenness,  corrup- 
tion and  horror  of  bodies  pampered  heretofore  in 
shameless  attire.  But  I  recognize  more  easily  the 
greatness  of  these  pains  when  I  contemplate  the 
innocent  Body  of  Christ,  which  was  scourged  for 
our  sake.  Truly,  if  this  happens  in  the  green 
wood,  what  shall  happen  in  the  dry  ? 

Fourthly,  the  Redeemer  would  be  the  solace  and 
the  strength  of  the  holy  martyrs.  Ah !  it  need  no 
longer  be  a  matter  of  astonishment  that  the  apos- 
tles were  joyful  and  exultant  when  leaving  the 
courtroom.  What  then  had  happened?  What 
was  the  cause  of  their  joy?  They  had  with  the 
Divine  Master  been  lashed  with  the  scourge.  And 
when,  later  on,  the  holy  martyrs  were  devoured  by 
wild  beasts,  when  with  iron  hooks  and  tongs  the 
flesh  was  torn  from  their  bodies,  when  weak  vir- 
gins, like  to  heroes,  ascended  the  awaiting  pyres, 
who  consoled  and  strengthened  them  but  Christ 
Who  was  scourged  for  us? 

Finally,  Christ  wished  to  be  the  model  of  con- 
fessors and  of  all  penitents;  and  who  of  us  does 


200  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

not  rightly  belong  to  this  class?  At  the  head  of 
this  long  and  immense  procession  of  penitents  we 
behold  Paul,  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles.  "With  a 
loud  voice  he  cries  out  to  all  coming  generations, 
''I  chastise  my  body:  lest,  perhaps,  when  I  have 
preached  to  others,  I  myself  should  become  a  cast- 
away. ' '  ^  He  is  followed  by  the  untold  number  of 
all  those  saints  who  retired  into  solitudes  and  hid- 
eous caverns  and  within  quiet  monastic  walls  and 
there  chastised  their  bodies  by  continued  fasts  and 
by  the  most  exquisite  and  painful  works  of  pen- 
ance. What  sought  they  there?  What  did  they 
strive  for?  To  become  similar  to  Christ  who  was 
scourged  for  us. 

If  we  find  ourselves  too  weak  for  such  extraor- 
dinary works  of  mortification,  if  we  are  not  called 
by  God  to  perform  them,  we,  at  least,  should  never 
abuse  our  bodies  in  works  of  impurity,  and  we 
ought  to  clothe  them  as  Christian  modesty  and 
decency  suggest.  Furthermore,  we  ought  at  least 
to  perform  those  acts  of  penance  which  God  and 
Holy  Church  demand  of  us  by  observing  conscien- 
tiously the  law  of  abstinence,  and,  when  in  duty 
bound,  the  law  of  fasting.  And  that  we  may  keep 
such  resolutions,  let  us  draw  the  needed  strength 
and  courage  from  the  fountains  of  the  Saviour, 
from  the  bleeding  wounds  of  the  Redeemer  Who 
was  scourged  for  us. 

II.  Cor.,  ix.,  27. 


CHAPTER  XVL 

THE  CROWNING  WITH  THORNS 

"  And  the  soldiers  platting  a 
crown  of  thorns,  put  it  upon  his 
head."      (St.  John,  xix.,  2.) 

By  the  bloody  scourging  the  Sacred  Body  of 
Christ  was  undoubtedly  torn  and  disfigured  in 
the  most  frightful  manner.  But  His  Sacred  Head 
was  still  untouched.  At  this  point,  Holy  Writ 
narrates  the  following  incident:  ''The  soldiers  of 
the  governor  gathered  together  the  whole  band  and 
put  a  scarlet  cloak  about  Jesus,  and  platting  a 
crown  of  thorns,  they  put  it  upon  his  head  and  a 
reed  in  his  right  hand.  And  they  came  to  him 
and  bowing  the  knee  before  him,  they  mocked  him 
and  began  to  salute  him,  saying:  Hail,  King  of 
the  Jews.  And  they  gave  him  blows.  Spitting 
upon  him,  they  took  the  reed  and  struck  his  head. 
And  bowing  their  knees,  they  adored  him. ' '  ^ 

Listening  to  this  narrative,  one  is  filled  not  only 
with  aversion  and  horror,  but  also  with  astonish- 
ment. One  naturally  asks  how  such  a  thing  was 
possible.  How  did  the  torturers  happen  to  think 
of  doing  such  a  thing?     Who  had   given  orders 

iSt.  Matthew,  xxvii.,  27-30;  St.  Mark,  xv.,  16-19;  St. 
John,  xix.,  2,  3. 

201 


202  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

that  the  Sacred  Head  be  thus  tortured  ?  And  how 
dared  they,  without  being  told  and  without  higher 
orders,  venture  upon  such  an  outrage?  How  did 
they  escape  punishment  for  this  deed?  But  thus 
it  is  when  evil  proceeds  from  above,  from  those 
who  are  in  high  stations  or  who  are  in  the  lead 
in  any  way.  Then  evil  not  only  finds  approval 
among  those  in  lower  stations  of  life,  but  these 
last  add  evil  to  evil  of  their  own  accord. 

These  pagan  soldiers  were,  without  knowing  it, 
the  instruments  of  a  mysterious  Divine  decree. 
The  Jews  had  before  wished  to  proclaim  Christ 
their  King  and  to  crown  Him.  But  He  fled  from 
them.  They  were  not  worthy  of  the  honor.  He 
was  to  be  crowned  by  the  heathen,  by  those  who, 
after  the  rejection  of  the  synagogue,  were  to  gather 
in  thousands  around  the  glorious  banner  of  Christ. 
Besides  this,  Christ  was  not  pleased  with  the  pro- 
gram of  coronation  ceremonies  as  proposed  by  the 
Jews.  This  ceremony,  according  to  the  Saviour's 
intention,  was  to  be  conducted  in  a  manner  be- 
fitting a  king  Whose  kingdom  was  not  of  this 
world,  a  king  Who  in  a  few  hours  was  to  die  the 
death  of  a  criminal.  Therefore  the  crowning  could 
not  be  any  longer  delayed.  It  was  necessary  to 
make  haste;  it  was  high  time. 

Let  us  consider 
I.     The  legitimate  title  of  Christ  to  a  crown, 
II.     The  insignia  presented  to  Him  and 

III.     The  homage  offered  Him. 


THE  CROWNING  WITH  THORNS  203 


I. 

First,  Christ,  as  God,  had  the  right  to  a  crown. 
The  heathens,  whose  representatives  were  to  place 
a  crown  on  His  head,  understood  that  the  gods  de- 
served a  crown.  Therefore  they  adorned  the 
images  of  their  divinities  with  gold  and  jewels, 
with  crowns  and  wreaths  of  flowers.  They 
wreathed  the  head  of  Apollo  with  laurels;  they 
adorned  the  heads  of  Bacchus  and  Juno  with  the 
leaves  of  the  vine ;  upon  the  head  of  Hercules  they 
placed  olive  branches,  and  golden  crowns  upon  the 
heads  of  Jupiter  and  Saturn.  Now  Christ  had 
declared  before  Caiphas  that  He  was  the  Son  of 
God,  and  He  confirmed  His  declaration  with  an 
oath.     Therefore  He  ought  to  be  crowTied. 

Christ,  furthermore,  as  King,  had  the  right  to 
a  crown.  ''Art  thou  a  King?"  Pilate  had  asked. 
And  Christ  had  given  the  answer,  "Thou  say  est, 
that  I  am  a  King."  It  was  therefore  proper  that 
a  crown  should  adorn  His  head,  and  this  with 
greater  reason,  because  His  kingdom  must  excel 
all  others  in  greatness,  power  and  glory. 

Then  Christ  as  Eigh-Priest  of  the  New  Law 
had  the  right  to  a  crown.  When  the  high-priest 
of  the  Old  Law  offered  sacrifice,  his-  head  was 
adorned  with  the  tiara.  But  Christ  was  about  to 
offer  the  infinitely  meritorious  sacrifice  of  the  New 
Law.  Hence  at  this  sublime  sacrificial  feast  the 
crown  should  not  be  missing. 

Christ,  as  a  glorious  conqueror,  had  the  right 
to  a  crown.     ''I  have  overcome  the  world,"  He 


204  HISTOHY  OF  THE  PASSION 

had  declared  the  evening  before,  to  all  His  apos- 
tles, in  His  address  of  leave-taking.^  Now  if  Ro- 
man generals,  who  had  conquered  a  small  speck 
on  the  earth's  surface,  were  granted  the  honor  of 
a  triumph  and  of  a  crown  of  victory,  how  much 
more  worthy  of  a  crown  was  Christ,  the  Conqueror 
of  the  whole  world,  the  Victor  over  even  sin  and 
heU. 

Finally,  according  to  Jewish  custom,  the  hnde- 
groom  wore  a  sort  of  diadem  on  the  day  of  his 
espousals.  "Go  forth,"  says  the  Canticle  (iii., 
11),  ''ye  daughters  of  Sion,  and  see  king  Solomon 
in  the  diadem,  wherewith  his  mother  crowned  him 
in  the  day  of  his  espousals. ' '  Now  Christ,  the  true 
Solomon,  the  true  Prince  of  peace,  was  about  to 
redeem,  with  His  Blood,  His  Bride,  the  Holy 
Church,  and  to  celebrate  His  espousals  with  her. 

The  Redeemer,  therefore,  had  the  most  incon- 
testable titles  to  a  crown.  Only  two  of  these  titles 
were  known  to  the  pagan  soldiery.  They  had  been 
present  when  Christ  declared  Himself  a  king  be- 
fore Pilate.  Besides,  they  had  heard  what  He  had 
testified  under  oath,  regarding  His  Divinity.  It 
was  these  two  titles,  especially  the  former,  which 
prompted  the  soldiers  to  proceed  to  the  coronation. 
They  quickly  called  together  the  whole  band  so 
that  all  could  take  part  in  it.  Let  us  now  con- 
sider the  insignia  which  they  presented  to  Christ. 

1  St.  John,  xvi.,  33. 


THE  CROWNING  WITH  THORNS  205 


II. 

The  insignia  of  a  king  consisted  of  a  royal  man- 
tle, of  a  crown  and  a  scepter.  Following  the  cus- 
tom, the  soldiers  first  presented  to  the  Saviour 
the  kingly  mantle.  It  should  have  been  a  purple 
one.  But  lacking  a  mantle  of  purple,  richly  in- 
terwoven with  gold,  they  made  use  of  the  best  they 
could  procure.  To  begin  with,  they  tore  off  His 
garments,  causing  cruel  pains,  because  they  were 
incrusted  in  the  many  wounds.  They  then 
wrapped  about  Him  an  old,  worn-out,  scarlet  rag. 
"Lord,"  they  probably  said,  ''the  emperor  of 
Rome  sends  you  this  purple,  it  will  become  You 
when  You  are  on  your  royal  throne."  It  was  cor- 
rectly put,  for  no  other  mantle  was  befitting  for  the 
Redeemer  of  the  world.  He  was  the  picture  of 
the  world's  sins,  which  were  red  as  scarlet,  but, 
through  Christ,  were  to  become  white  as  snow.  The 
mantle  should  be  red  as  a  sign  that  His  kingdom, 
founded  in  blood,  was  to  be  spread  only  by  means 
of  blood,  that  is,  by  the  blood  of  the  apostles  and 
of  the  martyrs.  It  was  ragged  and  torn  in  token 
that,  in  imitation  of  Christ,  His  ministers  would 
redeem  the  souls  of  men  and  subject  them  to 
Christ,  not  by  means  of  gold  and  silver,  but 
through  the  hardships  of  poverty.  As  for  the  rest, 
words  are  wanting  in  which  to  qualify  properly 
the  wretchedness  of  this  ignominious  scene.  I  shall 
therefore  neither  be  indignant  at  the  torturers,  nor 
unfold  the  shame  of  the  Divine  Heart.  One  sug- 
gestion, however,  forces  itself  upon  me.     If  a  king 


206  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

allows  himself  to  be  clad  in  poor  and  miserable 
rags,  how  can  we  justify  in  His  subjects  a  luxury 
in  matters  of  dress  which  exceeds  by  far  all  rea- 
sonable, even  all  extreme  demands  of  one's  station 
in  life;  a  luxury  such  that  one  can  no  longer  dis- 
tinguish the  daughter  of  an  ordinary  citizen's  fam- 
ily from  the  high-born  princess,  nor  the  maid  from 
her  mistress.  There  is  many  a  poor  little  church 
in  missionary  countries  where  the  Body  of  Christ 
is  hardly  better  clad  than  at  His  crowning.  Hun- 
dreds and  thousands  of  members  of  the  same 
Sacred  Body,  in  these  same  countries,  lack  even 
the  most  necessary  garments.  In  whole  droves, 
they  die  from  sheer  poverty  and  misery.  Instead, 
then,  of  using  the  excess  of  your  money  in  a  sinful 
way,  use  it  to  clothe  Jesus  Christ  in  one  of  the 
manners  suggested.  Then  He  will  not  address  to 
you  the  reproach,  "I  was  naked  and  you  covered 
me  not.  Depart  from  me  into  everlasting  fire. ' '  ^ 
Then  they  put  the  crown  upon  the  head  of 
Christ.  Undoubtedly,  it  was  a  crown  of  most 
beautiful  roses  or  of  most  precious  gems,  or  of  the 
purest  gold,  adorned  with  pearls  and  the  most  ex- 
quisite jewels!  But  the  Almighty  in  His  anger 
had  cursed  the  earth.  "Thorns  and  thistles  shall 
it  bring  forth  to  thee. ' '  To  remove  from  the  earth 
this  curse,  this  king  must  carry  on  His  head  upon 
the  cross  the  signs  of  this  curse.  The  ram,  also, 
which  was  to  be  immolated  instead  of  Isaac,  stuck 
fast  by  the  horns  amongst  thorns  and  briars.     The 


THE  CROWNING  WITH  THORNS  207 

soldiers  then,  from  miglity  thorns  with  strong  and 
sharp  points,  platted  a  crown  in  the  form  of  a 
wreath  or  of  a  helmet  and  put  it  upon  the  head 
of  Christ  in  such  a  violent  manner  that  the  blood 
poured  forth  from  the  forehead,  the  eyes  and  the 
cheeks.  *'Xow  keep  your  head  straight  and  still," 
a  soldier  would  remark,  "and  we'll  give  you  what 
you  have  desired  for  such  a  long  time."  That, 
indeed,  was  correct.  For  Christ  had  earnestly 
longed  for  the  crown  of  thorns  and  its  sufferings 
in  order  that  He  might  atone  for  the  sins  of 
crowned  heads.  To  preserve  a  crown  or  to  in- 
crease its  splendor  or  to  add  new  jewels  to  it,  how 
many  bloody  wars  have  they  not  carried  on,  of 
how  many  acts  of  infernal  cruelty  or  of  enormous 
injustice  have  they  not  been  guilty?  Christ  also 
wished  to  atone  for  the  many  sins  of  thought 
whereby  we  have  so  often  offended  Him,  for 
thoughts  of  pride  and  vanity,  for  thoughts  of 
worldliness,  for  uncharitable  thoughts,  and  finally 
for  the  impure  thoughts  and  imaginations  of  un- 
chaste people. 

When  the  head  suffers,  necessarily  all  the  mem- 
bers suffer,  because  they  are  joined  to  the  head 
in  the  unity  of  the  body.  Whoever,  therefore, 
does  not  or  will  not  suffer,  whoever  leads  a  sump- 
tuous life,  whoever  pursues  all  sorts  of  pleasures 
or  complacently  wallows  in  sinful  lusts  cannot 
possibly  belong  to  a  body  whose  head  is  pierced 
with  thorns. 

Finally,  there  was  presented  to  Christ  a  reed, 
as  a  scepter,  to  remind  Him  of  all  the  misery, 


208  HISTOKY  OF  THE  PASSION 

emptiness  and  evanescence  of  His  kingly  sway. 
But  there  ye  are  in  error,  ye  soldiers!  Do  ye  not 
know  that  the  windstorm  may  indeed  uproot 
mighty  oaks  and  cedars,  but  that  it  cannot  harm 
the  reed  which  bends  and  turns?  Have  ye  never 
heard  how  rushing  floods  wash  away  palaces,  but 
pass  without  harm  over  the  deep-rooted  and  yield- 
ing reed!  Where  are  now  the  proud  thrones  of 
the  ancient  world?  Where  the  golden  scepters  of 
the  Ctesars?  What  is  there  left  of  so  many  once 
powerful  kingdoms  and  empires?  Nothing  but 
ruins  and  heaps  of  rubbish,  nothing  but  remnants 
in  a  thousand  scattered  fragments.  But  the  King 
Whom  ye  have  crowned,  still  wields  His  mild 
scepter  and  He  shall  reign  to  the  end  of  time. 

The  coronation  is  over.  Christ  is  clad  in  the 
emblems  of  His  royal  dignity.  Sitting  upon  the 
pillar  of  flagellation  as  upon  a  throne,  or  leaning 
against  it,  He  now  receives  the  homage  of  the  sol- 
diers. It  corresponds  perfectly  with  the  insignia 
they  have  offered  Him. 

III. 

The  evangelists  have  carefully  described  to  us 
the  whole  ceremony.  First  the  soldiers  went  up 
to  Christy  bowed  their  knees  before  Him  and  began 
to  salute  Him,  saying,  "Hail,  king  of  the  Jews.'' 
It  is  again  a  scene  from  hell,  mock  reverence,  grin- 
ning faces,  scornful  looks,  laughter  now  partly  sup- 
pressed, now  louder  and  then  ringing  through  the 
air,  salutes  and  addresses  with  tongues  stretched 
out  toward  Him.     One  seeks  to  outdo  the  other  in 


THE  CROWNING  WITH  THORNS  209 

mean  vulgarity.  Every  new  coarseness,  every  suc- 
cessful jest  is  greeted  with  general  applause. 

But  they  did  not  stop  at  words  and  gestures. 
They  advanced  to  deeds.  They  gave  Him  blows. 
They  spat  upon  Him.  They  took  the  reed  and 
beat  His  head  with  it.  "When  dry,  the  nether  part 
of  the  sea-reed,  although  hollow,  is  as  hard  and 
tough  as  wood.  The  Saviour  had  been  accustomed 
to  the  blows  and  the  spittle  by  His  experience  in 
the  house  of  Caiphas.  But  then  His  eyes  were 
bound.  Now,  however,  He  receives  the  homage  of 
His  future  people  with  open  eyes.  Through  the 
violent  beating  upon  the  crown,  one  of  the  thorns 
is  said  to  have  pierced  an  eye,  so  that  its  point 
appeared  on  the  surface  of  the  eye-ball.  The 
worst  feature  of  the  homage  was  its  last  scene. 
They  bent  their  knees  and  acted  as  if  they  wor- 
shipped Him  as  their  God.  Thus  the  ceremony 
of  coronation  reached  its  climax  in  the  most  awful 
blasphemy.  "My  people,  what  have  I  done  to 
thee  ?  Or  wherein  have  I  saddened  thee  ?  To  thee 
I  gave  a  kingly  scepter,  and  thou  gavest  my  head 
a  crown  of  thorns!  For  thee  I  slew  the  kings  of 
Canaan,  and  thou  hast  beaten  my  head  with  a 
reed!"    A  mean  reward! 

The  thorny  crown  of  Jesus  Christ  has  since  be- 
come, for  all  pious  Christians,  an  object  of  venera- 
tion. "What!"  exclaimed  Godfrey  of  Bouillon, 
after  capturing  'Jerusalem,  "shall  I  carry  the 
crown  of  a  king  where  my  Lord  and  Saviour  hath 
carried  a  crown  of  thorns?"     "Not  the  crown  of 

roses,  but  the  crown  of    thorns,"    exclaimed    St. 
14 


210  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

Catherine  of  Siena,  after  Our  Lord,  in  a  heavenly- 
vision,  had  offered  her  the  choice  of  the  one  or  the 
other.  But  no  one  was  ever  happier  than  St. 
Louis,  the  holy  king  of  France,  when  the  occasion 
was  presented  to  him  of  possessing  himself  of  the 
Saviour's  crown  of  thorns.  For  miles,  he  and  his 
court  went  to  meet  it.  His  eyes  were  streaming 
with  tears,  when,  bare-footed  and  with  uncovered 
head,  carrying  the  precious  relic  in  his  hands,  he 
entered  his  capital  city  as  if  in  triumph.  In  these 
latter  years,  the  Church  has  even  established  a 
special  feast  in  honor  of  the  crown  of  thorns,  and, 
in  Catholic  countries,  the  priest  of  Jesus  Christ, 
in  holy  pride,  carries  its  semblance  on  the  crown 
of  his  head. 

As  to  Our  Saviour  Himself,  the  ignominy  and 
torture  of  the  scene  of  coronation  was  changed, 
even  on  the  third  day  thereafter,  to  glory  and 
immeasurable  felicity.  Surrounded  by  light  and 
splendor  as 'once  upon  Thabor's  heights,  clad  with 
heavenly  beauty  as  with  a  garment,  the  purple  of 
glory  upon  His  shoulders,  upon  His  anointed  Head 
the  kingly  diadem,  He  stands  with  the  banner  of 
victory  in  His  hand.  Eternal  Love  is  spread  upon 
His  Divine  countenance.  Divine  majesty  rests  upon 
His  brow,  a  holy  victorious  joy  beams  from  His 
transfigured  eyes.  It  is  no  longer  the  menials  nor 
blood-stained  soldiers  who  accompany  Him,  ah,  no ! 
Now  the  patriarchs  and  the  prophets  and  all  the 
just  of  the  Old  Law  meet  Him  in  joy  and  exulta- 
tion, pay  their  homage  to  the  glorious  Hero  and 
adore  their  Divine  King.     Even  the  angels  circle 


THE  CROWNING  WITH  THORNS  211 

joyfully  about  the  triumphant  Conqueror  and  sing 
to  Him  heavenly  lays.  Let  us  also  take  part  in 
the  homage  of  heaven  and  earth !  Glory  and  praise 
and  adoration  to  Thee,  O  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  Who 
for  us  hast  been  crowned  with  thorns.  Praise  to 
Thee,  Thou  Conqueror  over  sin  and  hell!  Praise 
and  glory  to  Thee,  0  glorious  King!  We  worship 
Thee,  Thou  God  and  King  of  our  hearts  for  time 
and  for  eternity. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

ECCE  homo! 

"  Jesus  therefore  came  forth  bear- 
ing the  crown  of  thorns,  and  the  pur- 
ple garment.  And  Pilate  said  to 
them:  Behold  the  man.  When  the 
chief-priests  therefore  and  the  serv- 
ants had  seen  him,  they  cried  out, 
saying:  Crucify  him,  crucify  him.'* 
(St.  John,  xix.,  5,  6.) 

After  the  soldiers  had  scourged  Christ  and 
crowned  Him  with  thorns,  they  brought  Him  back 
into  the  court-room  of  Pilate.  We  cannot  imagine 
otherwise  than  that  Pilate  was  somewhat  abashed 
at  the  sight  of  the  mangled  and  thorn-crowned 
Saviour.  And,  considering  his  sense  of  justice, 
his  blood  must  have  boiled  in  anger  and  indigna- 
tion. Undoubtedly  he  had  commanded  that  the 
scourging  be  more  severe  than  usual.  But  the  sol- 
diers had  gone  far  beyond  his  intention.  Besides, 
without  his  orders,  even  without  his  knowledge, 
they  had,  of  their  own  accord,  driven  the  thorns 
into  the  Lord's  head.  But  he  soon  recovered,  he 
ordered  no  punishment  for  the  subordinates,  he  did 
not  even  reprove  them.  He  overlooked  the  matter, 
for  the  hope  arose  within  him  that  now  he  could 
more  easily  carry  out  his  plan,  that  is,  to  obtain 

212 


ECCE  HOMO!  213 

the  consent  of  the  Jews  to  the  release  of  Christ. 
Let  us  consider^ 

I.    Another  effort  of  Pilate  to  release  Christ 
and 
II.    Its  result. 


The   new  effort  to  release  Christ  consisted  in 
this,   that   Pilate   led   the   Kedeemer   out   of   the 
court-room  into  the  vestibule,  presented  Him  in 
His  pitiable  condition  to  the  Jews,  and,  in  a  few^ 
words,    recommended    Him    to    their    sympathy. 
''Behold,"  said  he  to  them,  *'I  bring  him  forth 
unto  you,  that  you  may  know  that  I  find  no  cause 
in  him."    But,  Pilate,  what  would  you  yourself 
think  of  a   father,  who  after  beating  his  son  to 
the   shedding   of   blood,   would   say  to   the   other 
children,  ''Behold,  I  show  him  to  you  that  you 
may  know  that  I  find  no  fault  in  him?"     Is  it 
not  most  natural  to  measure  the    enormity    of    a 
crime  by  the  severity  of  the  punishment   deter- 
mined for  it  by  the  judge?     However,  it  is  the 
property  of  sin  to  entangle  him  who  commits  it  in 
the  most  glaring  contradictions  so  that  he  is  at 
variance  not  only  with  God,  but  also  with  good 
sense  and  sound  reason.     Or,  do  you  perhaps  mean 
that  the  mere  circumstance  of  leading  him  out  to 
the  Jews  should  prove  His  innocence,  because,  if 
you  had  found  Him  guilty,  you  would  immediately 
have  sent  Him  to  prison  or  to  the  place  of  execu- 

1  St.  John,  xix.,  4-8. 


214  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

tion?  But  what  has  happened  at  this  particular 
moment  to  convince  you  again  of  His  innocence? 
During  the  long  scourging  and  crowning  with 
thorns,  you  could  not  possibly  have  questioned 
Him.  But  if  you  previously  considered  Him  inno- 
cent and  if  you  still  so  consider  Him,  why  do  you 
postpone  His  liberation?  The  sense  of  Pilate's 
words,  therefore,  amounts  to  this:  "I  have  or- 
dered this  innocent  man  here  before  you  to  be 
punished  severely  as  a  favor  to  you.  Now,  on 
your  part,  make  a  concession  to  me  and  make  no 
further  demands. ' '  But  these  words  of  Pilate  con- 
tain a  fearful  self-condemnation.  How  could  he 
as  a  just  judge  be  swaj^ed  by  human  motives 
against  his  own  better  knowledge  and  allow  such 
an  excessive  wrong  to  be  done  to  an  innocent  man  ? 
The  Gospel  continues,  ''Jesus  therefore  came 
forth  bearing  the  crown  of  thorns  and  the  purple 
garment.  And  he  (Pilate)  saith  to  them:  Behold 
the  man. ' '  Note  the  prudence  of  Pilate.  He  calls 
Him  no  more  a  king  of  the  Jews,  in  order  not  to 
offend  or  exasperate  them.  He  says,  ''Behold  the 
man."  This  is  the  man  whom  you  have  accused 
as  an  aspirant  to  the  throne.  Whatever  He  may 
have  done.  He  is  now,  without  a  doubt,  sufficiently 
punished.  If  you  intended  to  humiliate  Him,  was 
ever  a  greater  shame  inflicted?  If  you  demanded 
blood,  who  ever  shed  more  than  He?  If  He  ever 
had  a  desire  for  the  throne,  it  undoubtedly  has 
left  Him  by  this  time.  Nor  could  He  now  find 
any  adherents.  Be  you  therefore  contented  and 
demand  no  more"  punishment.     Have  pity  on  Him. 


ECCE  HOMO!  215 

He  is  neither  a  stone  nor  a  dog.  He  is  a  human 
being  like  to  yourselves.  Why,  it  would  be  against 
human  nature  not  to  pity  a  man  in  such  a  mis- 
erable condition.  And,  while  thus  expatiating  on 
the  ''Eece  Homo,"  Pilate  pointed  his  finger  at 
Christ,  the  soldiers  held  back  the  scarlet  mantle 
so  that  all  could  see  the  terrible  wounds,  and  for 
this  purpose,  they  turned  Him  around  in  a  cir- 
cle. 

** Behold  the  man!"  These  words  certainly 
demonstrate  the  merciful  heart  of  Pilate.  But  his 
great  error  was  that,  through  his  own  fault,  he 
recognized  in  Christ  only  a  man.  Thus  it  is  even 
to-day.  Whoever  overlooks  the  divine  element  in 
Christ  and  in  His  Holy  Church,  will  always  be 
unfair  in  judgment  and  impious  in  conduct. 
What  result  did  Pilate  achieve? 

II. 

It  appears  that  the  sight  of  the  Redeemer  pro- 
duced a  sad  impression  on  the  multitude.  For 
there  were  many  among  the  crowd  who  joined  in 
the  cry  ''Crucify  Him!"  impelled  more  by  ig- 
norance and  fear  than  by  malice.  The  chief-priests 
noticed  this.  Lest  their  plans  be  frustrated,  they 
therefore  shouted  as  loud  as  they  could,  "Crucify 
Him !  Crucify  Him ! ' '  What  an  indecorous  sight ! 
Howling  high-priests !  How  ye  have  forgotten  the 
dignity* of  your  priestly  station  and  of  your  white 
hairs!  What  fanatical  hatred  in  these  men! 
What  adorns  the  priest  more  than  mercy  for  the 
unfortunate?     Has  he  not,  by  virtue  of  his  of- 


216  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

fice,  both  the  privilege  and  the  duty  to  invoke  grace 
and  pity  upon  sinners  ?  But  like  wild  beasts  after 
tasting  blood,  the  chief -priests  fall  upon  their  vic- 
tim to  dismember  it  and  to  tear  it  to  pieces.  Holy 
Writ  declares  that,  because  they  so  cruelly 
scourged  and  crowned  the  Saviour,  therefore  they 
demand  the  crucifixion.  They  could  indeed  no 
longer  turn  back  without  bringing  upon  themselves 
the  greatest  embarrassment.  Were  Christ  now  re- 
leased, His  very  maltreatment  would  regain  for 
Him  the  hearts  of  the  people  so  much  sooner,  and 
their  entire  fury  would  turn  against  the  chief- 
priests.  Their  infernal  prudence,  therefore,  urged 
them  to  demand  the  crucifixion. 

Then  Pilate,  indignant  and  disgusted,  said: 
*'Take  him  you,  and  crucify  him:  for  I  find  no 
cause  in  him.''  As  if  he  said,  "If  according  to 
your  law,  it  be  allowable  to  kill  an  innocent  man, 
do  it  yourselves.  I  shall  not  commit  such  an  out- 
rageous injustice ;  our  laws  do  not  permit  it. ' '  But 
the  chief -priests  would  not  allow  this  reproach  and 
the  slur  cast  upon  the  Mosaic  Law  to  go  unno- 
ticed. ' '  We  have, ' '  they  said,  ' '  a  law ;  and  accord- 
ing to  the  law  he  ought  to  die,  because  he  made 
himself  the  Son  of  God." 

Words  cannot  adequately  characterize  this  con- 
duct of  the  chief -priests.  Nothing  ever  equaled  it 
in  meanness,  malice  and  low  cunning.  Having 
found  that  with  their  charge  of  high-treas©n  they 
would  not  attain  their  object,  they  drop  it  then  and 
there,  and  by  charging  blasphemy,  which  hereto- 
fore they  dared  not  mention  to  the  pagan  judge, 


ECCE  HOMO!  217 

they,  by  one  stroke,  give  the  trial  a  new  direction. 
Now,  finally,  the  section  of  the  Mosaic  Law  accord- 
ing to  which  Christ  ought  to  be  put  to  death  was 
found.  Only  it  is  strange  that  the  high-priests 
did  not  propose  the  penalty  of  stoning  as  the 
Mosaic  Law  required,  but  the  illegal  crucifixion. 
In  later  centuries  the  enemies  of  Christ  and  of 
the  Church  were  not  always  fortunate  enough  to 
find  in  their  constitutional  laws  and  other  codes 
such  provisions  as  would  empower  them  to  proceed 
against  the  Church.  Nothing  then  remained  to 
preserve  legal  appearances,  but  for  legislative  ma- 
jorities hurriedly  to  fabricate  new  sections.  Then 
they  could,  with  a  calm  conscience,  appear  before 
the  astonished  world  and  say,  "We  have  a  law,  and 
according  to  section  so  and  so, — he  must  die.'' 

Contrary  to  all  expectation,  the  charge  of  the 
chief-priests  that  Christ  had  proclaimed  Himself 
to  be  the  Son  of  God,  made  a  deep  impression  on 
Pilate.  ''When  Pilate  therefore,"  says  the  Gospel, 
"had  heard  this  saying,  he  feared  the  more." 
Pilate  then  had  feared  before  this.  He  feared, 
first  of  all,  the  chief-priests,  whom  he  would  not 
offend.  He  feared  the  emperor  to  whom  all  the 
official  documents  of  the  trial  must  be  sent.  The 
unjust  treatment  of  an  accused  and  his  unjust  con- 
demnation, would  certainly  entail  removal  from 
office.  And  undoubtedly  his  conduct  toward  Christ 
also  caused  him  the  most  poignant  pangs  of  con- 
science. Why  then  should  he  fear  the  more?  It 
need  not  seem  singular  to  us  that  Pilate  was 
strangely   affected   at   the   thought   that   perhaps 


218  HISTORY  OF  THE  TASSION 

Christ,  Whom  he  had  so  cruelly  and  unjustly 
scourged,  was  after  all  the  son  of  a  god.  Accord- 
ing to  the  ancient  Greek  and  Roman  mythologies, 
with  which  Pilate  was  undoubtedly  acquainted, 
there  were  many  gods,  with  families  and  numerous 
sons  and  daughters.  Many  of  these  were  said  to 
have  repeatedly  appeared  upon  earth  and  to  have 
held  intercourse  with  mortal  men.  In  his  surmise 
that  Christ  was  such  a  scion  of  divinity,  Pilate 
was  confirmed  by  Christ 's  truly  Divine  dignity, 
calmness  and  majesty,  by  His  inexplicable  patience 
and  meekness  amid  such  inexpressible  sufferings. 
He  thought  of  the  extraordinary  deeds  of  the  man, 
and  of  what  He  had  told  him  of  His  kingdom :  that 
it  was  not  of  this  world.  Finally,  the  warning  of 
his  wife  came  to  his  mind :  ' '  Have  nothing  to  do 
with  this  just  man;  there  is  something  extraordi- 
nary about  him."  Now,  according  to  heathen 
ideas,  it  was  a  dangerous  matter  to  excite  the  anger 
of  the  gods.  Jupiter  threw  thunderbolts  upon  his 
enemies,  Apollo  cast  poisoned  arrows  that  caused 
pestilential  ulcers.  Mars  devastated  the  territory 
of  an  enemy  with  bloody  war,  Neptune  caused  the 
sea  to  overflow  its  limits,  Vulcan  opened  the  earth 
and  exhaled  fire.  Pilate  then,  if  he  assaulted  the 
son  of  a  god,  would  not  escape  the  ire  and  revenge 
of  the  older  divinity. 

This  frivolous  man  of  the  world,  then,  this 
doubter  and  scoffer,  this  prudent  official,  who,  a 
short  time  ago,  had  superciliously  asked,  **What 
is  truth?"  was  not  free  from  religious  presenti- 
ments.    But  because  he  was  too  proud  to  submit 


ECCE  HOMO!  219 

to  faith,  lie  had  become  a  slave  to  superstition. 
Thus  even  to-day  infidelity  and  superstition  are 
very  close  neighbors. 

Pilate,  then,  feared  the  more  and  resolved  to 
be  more  careful  and  to  again  examine  the  case 
thoroughly  before  proceeding  any  further  against 
Christ.  He  therefore  took  the  Redeemer  back  with 
him  into  the  court-room  to  give  him  a  second  hear- 
ing. The  thought  that  perhaps  he  was  in  the 
presence  of  the  son  of  a  god  whom  he  had  wronged 
and  whom  he  was  about  to  wrong  even  more,  filled 
the  heathen  with  fear  and  anxiety.  The  Chris- 
tian, on  the  other  hand,  knows  and  believes  with 
all  certainty  that  he  is  close  to  God,  that  God  is 
omnipresent  and  all-knowing,  that  in  God  we  live, 
and  move,  and  are.  Still  there  are  many  who  are 
not  disquieted  at  the  thought  of  their  many  offenses 
against  the  omnipresent  God;  many  who  do  not 
fear  to  provoke  His  anger  by  new  offenses. 

Ecce  Homo!  Behold  the  Man!  Such  was  the 
proclamation  of  Pilate  to  the  Jews.  The  chief- 
priests,  however,  would  not  look  upon  the  picture, 
Ecce  Homo;  it  pleased  them  not.  They  shouted, 
''Crucify  Him!  Crucify  Him!"  Almighty  God 
will  again  present  this  sight  to  them  and  to  all 
impenitent  sinners,  against  their  will,  on  the  day 
of  judgment.  They  will  see  "Whom  they  have  cru- 
cified. Whom  they  have  offended  by  their  sins. 
We,  however,  shall  attentively  gaze  upon  the  Ecce 
Homo  and  impress  it  deeply  upon  our  hearts.  Yea, 
may  the  Lord  be  ever  before  our  eyes,  as  He, 
bleeding  from  a  thousand  wounds,  with  the  crown 


220  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

of  thorns  on  His  head  and  the  scarlet  mantle  about 
His  shoulders,  stands  publicly,  as  it  were,  in  a  pil- 
lory. Let  us  continually  thank  Him  for  His  in- 
comprehensible love  and  repay  the  same  with  our 
love.  Let  us  thank  Him  especially  for  having 
given  us  in  the  Ecce  Homo  a  shield  against  which 
all  the  arrows  of  hell  shall  be  of  no  avail.  How, 
let  us  say  when  Satan  tempts  us  to  sensuality,  to 
avarice  or  to  pride,  how  can  I  offend  Him  Who 
has  suffered  so  much  for  me?  Yes,  who  would 
think  it  possible,  the  Ecce  Homo  disarms  even  the 
anger  of  Divine  Justice.  ''Regard,  0  Lord''— let 
this  be  our  prayer  when  the  thought  of  our  sins 
fills  us  with  fear  and  trembling — "Regard,  O  Lord 
the  picture  of  Thine  only  begotten  Son;  and,  for 
the  sake  of  His  Blood,  pardon  Thou  our  misdeeds." 
May  the  Ecce  Homo,  finally,  in  the  hour  of  death 
be  our  strength  and  hope,  so  that  we  may  happily 
withstand  the  last  attack  of  Satan  and,  through  the 
merits  of  the  crowned  Redeemer,  obtain  the  grace 
to  behold  Him  in  His  glory,  world  without  end. 
Amen. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE  SECOND  HEARING  OF  CHRIST  BEFORE  PILATE 

"  And     from     thenceforth      Pilate , 
sought     to     release     him.     But     the 
Jews  cried  out,  saying:    If  thou  re- 
lease this  man,  thou  art  not  CiEsar's 
friend."     (St.  John,  xix.,  12.) 

The  new  effort  of  Pilate  to  liberate  Christ,  was 
a  complete  failure.  The  Ecce  Homo  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  cry,  "  Crucify  Him,"  and,  owing 
to  the  fresh  accusations  of  the  high-priests,  Pilate 
found  himself  in  the  awkward  position  of  having 
to  begin  the  trial  anew.  For  such  is  the  effect  and 
the  penalty  of  irresolution  and  unfinished  effort 
that  the  man  who  once  yields  to  them  is  plunged 
into  ever  new  and  more  elaborate  entanglements, 
until  it  becomes  impossible  for  him  to  extricate 
himself. 

Let  us  consider  ^ 
I.     The  hearing  in  detail  and 

II.     The  mistakes  of  Pilate  during  its  progress. 

I. 

Pilate  began  the  trial  with  the  question, 
*' Whence  art  thou?"     He  did  not  inquire  about 

iSt.  John,  xix.,  9-12. 

221 


222  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

the  country  or  town  in  which  Christ  was  born,  for 
that  he  already  knew.  The  meaning  of  his  ques- 
tion was  rather,  "Who  is  thy  father?  Who  is 
thy  mother?"  For  he  wished  to  know  whether, 
as  the  charge  had  it,  He  was  indeed  the  son  of 
some  deity.  Pilate  received  no  reply.  "Jesus 
gave  him  no  answer."  This  may  seem  strange  to 
us.  The  Saviour  had  replied  to  several  questions 
put  to  Him  by  Pilate,  His  legitimate  judge. 
Whence  the  silence  now?  We  may  mention  as  a 
first  reason  that,  in  the  meantime,  Pilate  had 
rendered  himself  unworthy  of  a  reply.  At  the  end 
of  the  first  hearing,  he  had  contemptuously  asked, 
"What  is  truth?"  and  turned  his  back  upon 
Christ.  Besides,  Pilate  had,  to  some  extent, 
yielded  to  the  Jews,  and,  against  his  better  knowl- 
edge, permitted  the  Redeemer  to  be  scourged. 
Then  the  fear  which  elicited  his  question  was 
merely  a  servile  fear.  He  feared  not  so  much  to 
offend  the  gods  by  mistakes  as  to  draw  down  upon 
himself  their  revenge.  Now  whoever  fears  only 
the  punishment  and  not  the  sin;  whoever  submits 
through  the  fear  of  temporal  misfortune  only,  does 
not  deserve  an  answer  from  the  Redeemer. 

As,  furthermore,  Pilate  had  asked  his  question 
from  a  pagan  point  of  view,  that  is,  from  the  stand- 
point of  polytheism,  an  answer  from  Christ  either 
would  have  confirmed  him  in  his  erroneous  opin- 
ions, or  would  have  been  entirely  unintelligible  to 
him.  Besides,  further  information  concerning  the 
person  of  Christ  was  altogether  superfluous  as,  ow- 
ing to  previous  answers,  Pilate  must  have  attained 


CHRIST  AGAIN  BEFORE  PILATE  223 

to  a  perfect  conviction  of  His  innocence  and,  in 
fact,  he  had  expressed  himself  repeatedly  to  that 
effect.  It  was  sufficient  for  him  to  know  that 
Christ  was  a  king  in  a  supernatural  sense.  And 
even  this  he  had  not  rightly  understood. 

Finally,  the  main  reason  why  the  Saviour  did 
not  answer  the  question   of  the  judge  was  that 
Pilate  deemed  he  had  a  right  to  know  truths  which 
cannot  be  accepted  without  due  humility  of  heart 
and   of   intellect.     Caiphas   had   adjured  the   Re- 
deemer   in    the    name    of    Almighty    God    to    tell 
whether  or  not  He  was  the  Son  of  God.     He  was, 
besides,  as  high-priest,  the  legitimate  custodian  of 
the  pure  doctrine  in  Israel.     But  it  was  arrogance 
and  curiosity   which   prompted   Pilate's   question, 
'' Whence  art  thouT'     Ah,  Pilate!  To  fathom  the 
origin  of  Jesus  Christ,  how,  in  His  Divinity,  He 
is  begotten  from  all  eternity  by  the  Father,  how 
in    His    Humanity,    through    the    overshadowing 
power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  He  was  born  of  Mary, 
His  virginal  Mother,  means  to  penetrate  into  the 
inmost  depths  of  the  Godhead ;  it  means  to  be  in- 
troduced into  the  inscrutable  secrets  of  the  Most 
Holy   Trinity   and   of  the   Incarnation.     If   thou 
wouldst    know    more    about    these    truths,    thou 
shouldst  not  ask  in  a  domineering  tone  nor  with 
pompous  self-esteem,  but  rather  thou  shouldst  fall 
upon  thy  knees  and  humbly  ask  the  Saviour  for 
enlightenment,   or,   in  the   privacy  of  thy  home, 
betake  thyself  to  prayer  and  remain  therein  until 
it  please  God  to  reveal  Himself  to  thee. 

The  silence  of  the  Redeemer  hurt  the  pride  of 


224  HISTOKY  OF  THE  PASSION 

the  Roman,  the  otherwise  well-disposed  judge.  Of- 
fended and  indignant,  he  said  to  Christ,  **Speakest 
thou  not  to  me?  Knowest  thou  not  that  I  have 
power  to  crucify  thee,  and  I  have  power  to  release 
thee?"  What,  Pilate!  thou  hast  power  to  crucify 
Christ  and  power  to  release  Him?  Certainly  not. 
Thou  art  in  error.  Since  thou  hast  so  often  de- 
clared the  Saviour's  innocence,  thou  art  no  longer 
free  to  crucify  Him  or  to  release  Him.  There  is 
nothing  left  for  thee  but  to  liberate  Him  without 
delay.  Thou  confoundest  the  idea  of  external 
power  with  that  of  right,  of  authority  to  act.  The 
mere  possession  of  crude,  material  power  does  not 
convey  a  right.  Listen  to  what  St.  Ambrose  ^  says 
of  thee:  ''By  thine  ow^n  words,  0  Pilate,  dost  thou 
judge  and  condemn  thyself.  For  not  according  to 
principles  of  right,  but  only  because  thou  hadst  in 
hand  the  power,  thou  hast  liberated  the  robber 
and  put  to  death  the  Giver  of  life. ' '  A  good  judge 
does  not  render  decisions  according  to  caprice  but 
according  to  justice  and  equity. 

In  face  of  the  erroneous,  destructive  and  blas- 
phemous view  of  Pilate  on  the  origin  of  power, 
Christ  was  obliged  to  break  His  silence.  To  honor 
His  heavenly  Father  and  to  instruct  mankind.  He 
definitely  and  solemnly  declared  that  there  is  no 
power  except  from  God.  He  more  particularly 
gave  Pilate  to  understand,  that  His  passion  and 
death  did  not  depend  upon  Pilate's  will  and  pleas- 
ure but  upon  a  free  dispensation  of  God;  that, 

iSerm.  20  in  Ps.  118.  n.  38  (in  vers.  4.) 


CHRIST  AGAIN  BEFORE  PILATE  225 

notwithstanding  the  power  conferred  upon  him  by 
Caesar,  Pilate  could  not  possibly  put  Him  to  death, 
if  it  had  not  pleased  God  at  this  time  to  give  free 
scope  to  the  powers  of  darkness.  He  therefore 
said  to  Pilate,  ' '  Thou  shouldst  not  have  any  power 
against  me,  unless  it  were  given  thee  from  above.'' 
To  this  instruction  Christ  added  a  last,  impres- 
sive warning  that  Pilate  should  not,  by  an  unjust 
sentence,  use  the  power  of  which  he  boasted  to  his 
own  destruction.  Therefore,  Christ  continued, 
"he  that  hath  delivered  me  to  thee,  hath  the  greater 
sin."  Which  means,  the  sin  of  Caiphas  is  such  a 
great  one,  just  because  he  delivered  me  to  a  man 
to  whom  God  really  gave  power  over  me;  this  sin 
is  greater  than  it  otherwise  would  be,  if  thou,  like 
other  people,  hadst  no  power  over  me.  Reflect 
well  what  responsibility  thou  art  loading  upon 
thyself,  if,  against  thine  own  conscience,  thou 
abusest  the  power  given  thee.^  Pilate  understood 
both  the  instruction  and  the  admonition.  In  or- 
der not  to  offend  the  gods  and  not  to  draw  upon 
himself  the  enmity  of  a  superior  being,  he  now 
wished  to  free  Christ,  in  whom,  notwithstanding 
all  enquiries,  nothing  punishable  could  be  discov- 
ered. "From  thenceforth,"  says  the  Gospel, 
"Pilate  sought  to  release  him."  Indeed,  he  had 
repeatedly  willed  the  same  before,  but  he  had  never 
ventured  to  show  it  as  plainly  as  now.  He  there- 
fore left  the  court-room,  and  in  concise  words  de- 
clared to  the  people  his  intention  of  giving  Christ 

1  See  note  12. 
15 


226  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

His   liberty   on   account   of    His   innocence.     The 
words  he  used  are  not  mentioned  in  the  Gospel. 

It  acted  like  a  clap  of  thunder  upon  the  chief- 
priests.  Their  accusation  of  blasphemy  had,  then, 
proven  abortive.  But,  while  Pilate  war  giving  the 
Redeemer  a  hearing  within  the  palace,  they  had  to 
some  extent  prepared  themselves  and  the  people 
for  this  move  by  powerfully  inciting  and  embit- 
tering the  latter  against  Christ.  And  thus  it  hap- 
pened that,  according  to  agreement,  they  now  all 
cried  out  together,  ' '  If  thou  release  this  man,  thou 
art  not  Caesar 's  friend.  For  whoever  maketh  him- 
self a  king,  speaketh  against  Caesar." 

One  would  really  believe  that,  at  this  moment, 
hell  had  opened  its  jaws  and  that  all  the  demons 
together  had  come  up  to  put  these  words  into  the 
mouths  of  the  Jews.  What  infinite  cunning  and 
malice  they  denote.  The  charges  of  treason  and 
of  blasphemy  had  failed.  They  knew  of  naught 
else.  They  therefore  dragged  into  the  trial  the 
personal  interests  of  the  judge  by  clearly  giving 
him  to  understand  that  they  would  accuse  him  to 
the  emperor  in  Rome  and  insist  on  his  removal 
for  having  released  a  man  convicted  by  the  high- 
priests  of  the  Jewish  people  as  a  pretender  to  the 
crown  and  a  rebel  against  Caesar.  ''Caesar's 
friend"  was  an  honorary  title  of  imperial  legates 
and  governors.^  Wherefore,  ''thou  art  not  CaB- 
sar's  friend"  meant  the  same  as  "thou  canst  no 
longer  remain  governor. ' '     What  a  base  mixture  of 

iSepp.  Das  Leben  Jesu  Christi,  vi.   (ch.  66),  264. 


CHRIST  AGAIN  BEFORE  PILATE  227 

lying  and  calumny!  Formerly  the  statement  was 
that  He  said  He  was  a  King.  Now  it  is  said  that 
He  made  Himself  a  King  against  all  legitimate 
right,  probably  through  rapine  and  bloodshed. 
Finally,  what  hypocrisy !  The  Jews  again  pretend 
to  be  the  devoted  servants  of  Csesar  and  the  props 
of  Roman  dominion. 

Now  Pilate  was  outmaneuvered.  The  certain 
prospect  of  being  accused  in  Rome  as  was  Herod 
the  Elder,  and  of  being  accused  to  Tiberius  Caesar 
whose  suspicious  cruelty  would  be  roused  to  fury 
at  the  mere  shadow  of  a  lese-majesty  or  of  revolt; 
the  well-founded  fear  of  even  provoking  a  bloody 
insurrection  by  the  release  of  Christ  and  of  even- 
tually being  responsible  for  it  to  Cgesar,  all  this 
was  too  much  for  Pilate.  He  yielded;  he  caused 
Christ,  Whom  he  had  left  in  the  court-room,  to  be 
led  forth;  he  seated  himself  upon  the  judge's  bench, 
and  in  a  few  minutes  the  sentence  of  death  was 
pronounced  upon  Christ. 

Let  us  now  try  to  discover  the  faults  of  Pilate 
during  this  hearing. 

11. 

As  we  have  repeatedly  seen,  Pilate  had  many 
good  qualities.  Especially  did  his  sense  of  justice 
contrast  favorably  with  the  craft  of  the  chief- 
priests.  But,  alas,  these  good  qualities  were 
dimmed  by  great  faults  and  weaknesses.  The  lat- 
ter are  indicated  by  an  expression  of  Holy  Writ 
which  in  appearance  praises  Pilate.  The  words  of 
the  sacred  writer  are,  ''From  thenceforth  Pilate 


228  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

sought  to  release  Him."  ^'From  thenceforth,"  it 
says.  That  is  well.  But  why  only  from  thence- 
forth? Why  not  sooner?  Before  that,  Pilate  had 
often  declared  the  innocence  of  Christ.  Why  does 
he  only  now  show  signs  of  really  meaning  it  ?  Why 
has  he,  time  and  time  again,  put  off  the  fulfilment 
of  his  most  sacred  duty?  This  was  the  first  of  Pi- 
late's faults.  It  had  led  him  into  many  mistakes 
and  unfair  dealings  before.  It  began  his  progress 
towards  ruin,  because,  by  continually  postponing, 
he  became  so  accustomed  to  infringements  of  duty 
that  he  finally  persevered  in  this  state  of  neg- 
lect. 

This  contains  an  important  lesson  for  the  sin- 
ner who  desires  conversion.  Do  not  procrastinate, 
otherwise  naught  will  come  of  these  good  desires. 
It  contains  an  important  lesson  for  those  upon 
whom  rests  the  duty  of  restitution  in  matters  of 
honor  or  of  property,  the  duty  of  forgiveness  or 
the  duty  of  breaking  with  occasions  of  sin.  Do 
not  procrastinate  or  everything  will  remain  as  it 
has  been.  It  contains  an  important  lesson  for  the 
lukewarm  Christian  whose  conscience  admonishes 
him  to  greater  zeal.  Do  not  procrastinate  or  you 
will  wear  away  and  become  putrid  in  your  sloth. 

But  even  now — and  this  is  the  second  fault — 
Pilate  is  only  half  in  earnest.  He  wishes  but  wills 
not.  For  if  he  indeed  seriously  means  to  release 
Christ,  why  does  he  look  around  as  if  for  means 
to  accomplish  it?  He  has  told  the  Redeemer  to 
His  face  that  he  had  the  power  to  release  Him. 
And  since  the  release  will  cost  him  only  a  word, 


CHRIST  AGAIN  BEFORE  PILATE  229 

why  does  he  hesitate  so  long?  For  none  other 
than  human  motives,  for  nothing  else  but  pitiable, 
miserable  human  respect.  He  wishes  to  release  the 
Saviour,  but  at  the  same  time  he  does  not  want  to 
offend  the  chief-priests.  He  therefore  tries  to  find 
a  way  of  satisfying  both  parties.  He  is  attempt- 
ing the  impossible,  because  the  claims  of  the  two 
parties  are  diametrically  opposed  to  each  other. 
Owing  to  this  condition  of  things  and  to  the  em- 
barrassment resulting  therefrom,  his  mind  became 
obscured  and  his  will  paralyzed.  After  that, 
frightening  him  with  the  phantom  of  removal  was 
sufficient  to  bring  Pilate  to  the  end  of  his  re- 
sources. 

Therein,  again,  is  contained  an  important  les- 
son for  us.  He  who,  in  his  dealings  with  others 
and  in  his  daily  routine,  does  not  confine  himself  to 
consulting  God  and  conscience  alone,  he  who  is 
continually  fretting  about  what  other  people  will 
say  to  what  he  does,  stands  directly  on  the  brink 
of  sin's  abyss.  To  bring  on  the  fall,  a  threat  of 
removal  from  office  or  of  greater  evils  is  not  at  all 
necessary.  A  word,  a  look,  the  smile  of  a  ribald 
scoffer,  of  a  miserable  profligate  is  sufficient.  Like 
to  Pilate,  however,  all  slaves  of  human  respect  shall 
be  most  poignantly  deceived. 

The  source  of  all  these  aberrations  of  Pilate, 
as  we  have  pointed  out  in  considering  the  first 
hearing,  was  his  indifference  to  truth,  his  contempt 
of  truth.  He  had  turned  his  back  upon  Christ. 
For  whoever  is  indifferent  to  the  truths  of  re- 
ligion,  or  despises  and  opposes  them,   or  spurns 


230  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

them,  whoever,  to  be  brief,  does  not  and  will  not 
fulfill  his  duties  towards  God,  the  Origin  and 
Teacher  of  truth,  will  also  be  unfaithful  in  the 
performance  of  his  duties  towards  his  neighbor. 

The  history  of  Pilate  is  therefore  the  clearest 
and  most  patent  refutation  of  so-called  religious 
indifference.  It  is  the  refutation,  the  moral  anni- 
hilation even  of  free-thinkers,  who  maintain  that 
one  can  be  a  just  man  without  God  or  Christ  or 
religion  or  faith.  Whoever  is  not  just  towards 
God,  will  not  long  be  just  towards  his  fellow-man. 
In  one  way  or  another  he  will  be  unjust  to  him. 
Even  the  honesty  of  which  free-thinkers  boast,  that 
honesty  which  is  about  the  sum  and  substance  of 
all  their  faith  and  morals,  stands  on  tottering 
foundations.  Not  all  of  them  may  be  detected  as 
swindlers  and  thieves;  not  all  of  them  abscond  to 
foreign  parts  with  other  people's  money;  not  all 
of  them  bring  about  fraudulent  bankruptcies  to 
enliven  the  business  world  from  time  to  time ;  but 
their  justice  is  certainly  more  fragile  than  a  house 
of  blocks  put  together  by  a  child.  At  most,  it  is 
but  a  natural  virtue,  without  any  value  for  eter- 
nity. 

As  for  us,  however,  who  do  not  and  will  not 
belong  to  the  number  of  these  unhappy  men,  but 
who  are  proud  of  being  faithful  children  of  the 
Catholic  Church,  Pilate's  sad  history  ought  to  con- 
firm us  in  a  threefold  resolution.  First,  we  ought 
to  renew  our  resolve  always  to  have  an  open,  will- 
ing and  grateful  heart  at  the  service  of  Christ,  the 
Divine  Teacher  of  truth,   and  to  do  all  in  our 


CHRIST  AGAIN  BEFORE  PILATE  231 

power  to  know  and  to  love  more  and  more  the 
truths  revealed  by  Him.  Then  we  ought  never  to 
postpone  the  execution  of  our  good  resolutions,  but 
should  put  our  hands  to  the  work  immediately. 
Finally,  all  kinds  of  human  respect  and  attention 
to  the  criticism  and  ridicule  of  men  ought  to  be 
far  removed  from  us  when  there  is  question  of 
the  performance  of  our  duties.  Then,  and  only 
then,  shall  we  be  able  confidently  to  exclaim  with 
the  Apostle,  ''Who  shall  separate  us  from  the  love 
of  Christ?  shall  tribulation?  or  distress?  or  fam- 
ine? or  nakedness?  or  danger?  or  persecution?  or 
the  sword  ? "  ^  No,  none  of  all  these,  no  power  of 
hell  will  be  able  to  make  us  act  against  our  con- 
science, as  Pilate  did.  We  shall  remain  true  to 
Christ  in  life  and  in  death.  Then,  indeed,  we  shall 
hear  from  His  lips  the  consoling  words,  **Well 
done,  good  and  faithful  servant,  because  thou  hast 
been  faithful  over  a  few  things,  I  will  place  thee 
over  many  things:  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy 
Lord.  "2 

1  Rom.,  viii.,  35. 

2  St.   Matthew,   xxv.,   23. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

THE  CLOSE  OP  THE  TRIAL 

"Then  therefore  he  delivered  Mm 
to  them  to  be  crucified." 

(St.  John,  xix.,  16.), 

Let  US  to-day  in  spirit  go  to  Jerusalem,  into 
the  vestibule  of  Pilate's  palace,  to  hear  the  sen- 
tence which,  in  answer  to  the  charges  and  demands 
of  the  Jewish  people,  Pontius  Pilate,  governor  of 
Judea,  in  the  name  of  the  Roman  emperor  Tiberius, 
is  to  pronounce  upon  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God 
and  of  the  purest  Virgin  Mary.  It  is  not  without 
reason  that  St.  John,  the  Evangelist  (xix.,  13,  14) 
narrates  so  minutely  all  the  circumstances  of  time 
and  place  regarding  this  sentence.  He  wishes  to 
use  every  means  to  render  credible  and  to  place 
beyond  a  doubt  this  incident  so  incredible  in  itself. 
Thus  we  are  informed  that  Pilate's  judgment  seat 
in  front  of  the  building  stood  on  the  place  called 
Gabbatha,  meaning  elevation.  We  learn  that  this 
elevation  was  upon  the  Lithostrotos,  that  is,  a  sur- 
face inlaid  with  small,  colored  pebbles.  Then 
again,  it  was  a  Friday,  the  day  of  preparation  for 
the  paschal   feast,^   on  which  the  paschal  lambs 

1  See  not^  9. 

232 


THE  CLOSE  OF  THE  TRIAL  233 

must  be  slain,  at  about  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing according  to  our  time.  Thus  even  the  shadow 
of  suspicion  that  St.  John  had  narrated  an  imagi- 
nary tale  would  disappear. 

After  Pilate  had  led  Jesus  out  and  placed  him- 
self upon  the  judge's  seat,  he  made  another  des- 
perate, but  equally  unsuccessful  attempt  to  obtain 
the  consent  of  the  Jews  to  the  release  of  Christ. 
Then  he  washed  his  hands  in  token  of  his  own 
innocence  and  finally  pronounced  upon  Christ  the 
sentence  of  death. 

Let  us,  then,  consider  ^ 
I.     The  last  attempt  of  Pilate  to  release  Christ ; 
II.     His  solemn  declaration  of  his  own  inno- 
cence, and 

III.     The  sentencing  to  death  of  the  Redeemer. 


Pilate,  indeed,  did  not  fail  to  make  attempts 
to  liberate  Christ,  but  they  were  without  result. 
Neither  his  eloquence  in  repeatedly  defending  the 
innocence  of  Christ,  nor  the  shrewd  scheme  of 
opposing  Jesus  to  Barabbas,  nor  the  resort  to 
scourging,  nor  the  Ecce  Homo  had  availed  any- 
thing. Now  he  took  a  last  refuge  in  sneers  and 
ridicule.  The  Jews  had  said,  * '  If  thou  release  this 
man,  thou  art  not-  Csesar's  friend.  For  whoso- 
ever maketh  himself  a  king,  speaketh  against 
Csesar."  Pilate  had  somewhat  recovered  from 
the  terror  which  these  words  had   injected   into 

iSt.  John,  xix.,  14-16;  St.  Matthew,  xxvii.,  24,  25;  St. 
Mark,  xv.,  15;  St.  Luke,  xxiii.,  24-25. 


234  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

him  and  slyly  pretended  not  to  have  understood 
anything  of  their  threats.  He  now  railed  at  the 
foolishness  of  the  Jews  in  considering  as  their 
king  such  a  piteously  mangled  being.  "Behold 
your  king,"  said  he,  "He,  indeed,  looks  like  a 
king ! ' '  Carried  away  by  anger  at  this  insult,  not 
the  high-priests  alone,  but  all  present  cried  to- 
gether, "Away  with  him,  away  with  him,  crucify 
him."  The  whole  world  indeed  was  shouting  for 
Jesus,  the  Redeemer.  The  whole  world  forced  into 
His  grasp  the  emblem  of  Salvation,  the  Holy  Cross. 
The  Saviour  could  not  resist.  He  must  needs, 
carry  it. 

Then  Pilate  said  to  the  elews  in  a  more  serious 
tone,  "Shall  I  crucify  your  king?  Are  ye  not 
ashamed  to  demand  of  me  the  crucifixion  of  your 
king?  Is  it  not  an  unnatural  and  monstrous  de- 
mand? Is  it  not  the  mark  of  a  degraded  and  un- 
principled people?"  But  the  chief -priests  an- 
swered, "We  have  no  king,  but  Caesar."  Now,  ye 
chief-priests  and  scribes,  if  ye  have  no  more  a 
king,  if  the  scepter  hath  in  truth  departed 
from  Juda,  then  He  Who  stands  before  you  is 
truly  the  Messias.  From  the  crown  of  His  head 
to  the  sole  of  His  foot,  He  appears  exactly  as  the 
prophets  have  described  the  Messias.  But  they 
say,  "Csesar  is  our  king."  .These  words  imply 
the  formal  rejection  of  the  Old  Covenant.  For 
the  old  testamentary  pact  between  God  and  the 
Israelites  was  that  He  would  be  their  king  and  they 
should  be  His  people.  He  had  confirmed  and  con- 
secrated this  pact  with  innumerable,   astounding 


THE  CLOSE  OF  THE  TRIAL  235 

miracles  for  the  welfare  of  His  people;  He  had 
blessed  it  with  torrents  of  benefits.  He  had,  in- 
deed, often  had  reason  to  complain  of  infidelity 
and  breach  of  the  solemn  covenant  on  the  part  of 
His  people,  as  we  find  recorded  in  the  touching 
elegies  of  the  prophets.^  And  therefore  He  even 
had,  for  some  time  previous  to  this,  retired  from 
the  direct  government  of  His  people  as  He  had 
exercised  it  through  Moses  and  through  the  almost 
uninterrupted  succession  of  the  prophets,  the  custo- 
dians of  the  Divine  compact.  But  until  now  the 
legal  status  of  His  Kingly  Power  had  never  been 
denied.  Now,  however,  the  degenerate  priesthood 
called  upon  God  to  depart,  declared  theocracy 
abolished,  betrayed  the  hallowed  constitution  into 
the  hands  of  the  civil  power,  allowed  an  imperial 
official  to  sit  in  judgment  over  the  King-Messiaa 
and  violently  demanded  His  death.  "Crucify 
Him!  We  have  no  king  but  Caesar."  Thus 
spoke  the  same  Jews  who  a  short  time  before,  when 
the  Redeemer  promised  them  that  the  acceptance 
of  His  doctrine  would  give  them  freedom,  had  an- 
swered Him  by  saying,  "We  have  never  been 
slaves  to  any  man :  How  sayest  thou :  You  shall  be 
free. ' '  ^  The  effects  of  their  change  of  government 
became  apparent  after  forty  years.  The  last  ef- 
fort, then,  of  Pilate  to  save  Christ  had  collapsed. 
The  proclamation  of  the  synagogue  declaring  the 
Roman  emperor  king  of  the  Jews,  imposed  silence 
on  him  and  deprived  him  of  all  argument.    Pru- 

iv.g.     Is.  1  sq.;  Jer.  ii.,  5;  Mich,  vi.,  3. 
2  St.  John.,  viii.,  33. 


236  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

dence  forbade  him  to  raise  a  protest.  He  would 
remain  a  * 'friend  of  Caesar/'  and  thus  the  trial 
ended.  There  was  no  thought  of  calling  witnesses 
in  rebuttal  nor  of  presenting  a  defense  by  an  able 
attorney.  The  only  remaining  feature  was  that 
the  governor  prepared  to  justify  himself  before 
the  assembled  multitude  concerning  the  sentence 
to  be  pronounced,  and  to  solemnly  aver  his  inno- 
cence in  the  judicial  murder  about  to  be  com- 
mitted. 

II. 

The  Gospel  continues,  ''And  Pilate  seeing  that 
he  prevailed  nothing :  but  that  rather  a  tumult  was 
made :  taking  water  washed  his  hands  before  the 
people,  saying:  I  am  innocent  of  the  blood  of  this 
just  man;  look  you  to  it."  It  is  remarkable  that 
Pilate  is  continually  seized  with  a  dread  of  the 
crime  he  is  about  to  commit,  and  that  its  fearful 
responsibility  is  clearly  before  his  eyes.  So  in- 
delibly has  God  engraved  His  Law  upon  the  hearts 
of  men  that  the  conscience  of  even  the  pagan  trem- 
bles in  presence  of  guilt  and  of  its  penalty.  He 
is,  therefore,  impelled  to  remove  the  crime  from 
himself  by  the  washing  of  hands  and  the  protesta- 
tion of  his  innocence  and  to  load  upon  others  the 
responsibility  and  the  penalty.  However,  let 
us  examine  more  closely  the  conduct  of  this  man. 

He  washed  his  hands.  When  a  murder  had  oc- 
curred, it  was  customary  among  the  Jews  to  testify 
by  the  washing  of  hands  that  one  had  no  part  in 
the   crime.     In   Deuteronomy    (xxi.,    1,    6-8)    we 


THE  CLOSE  OF  THE  TRIAL  237 

read:  "When  there  shall  be  found  in  the  land  the 
corpse  of  a  man  slain,  and  it  is  not  known  who  is 
guilty  of  the  murder,  the  ancients  of  that  city 
shall  come  to  the  person  slain  and  shall  wash  their 
hands  .  .  .  and  say:  Our  hands  did  not  shed 
this  blood.  And  the  guilt  of  blood  shall  be  taken 
from  them."  Pilate,  who,  on  account  of  his  offi- 
cial position  as  judge  and  of  his  continual  relations 
with  the  Jews,  was  undoubtedly  aware  of  this  cus- 
tom, made  use  of  it  now  to  manifest  his  innocence 
in  the  crucifixion  of  Christ,  soon  to  take  place. 
But  why  all  this  vain  acting  which  in  no  wise  could 
denote  innocence  of  the  heart?  ** Though  thou 
wash  thyself  with  nitre,"  0  Pilate,  *'thou  art 
stained  in  thy  iniquity. ' '  ^  And  though  thou 
shouldst  lead  all  the  waters  of  the  Jordan  and  all 
the  waves  of  the  Red  Sea  over  thy  hands,  they 
will  not  wash  away  the  stain  of  blood.  By  this 
wretched  mummery,  the  fool  would  deceive  him- 
self and  save  the  appearance  of  his  innocence  be- 
fore the  public.  There  is  scarcely  anything  so  ri- 
diculous, disgusting  and  demoralizing  as  hypoc- 
risy. 

After  washing  his  hands,  Pilate,  in  accordance 
with  the  Mosaic  Law,  declares  his  innocence  by 
spoken  words.  But  how  contradictory  they  were! 
He  calls  Jesus  a  just  man  and,  in  the  same  breath, 
he  speaks  of  the  blood  which  this  just  man  is  to 
shed.  He  seems  to  have  forgotten  the  fearful  in- 
justice this  just  man  has  already  suffered  at  his 

1  Jer.,  ii.,  22. 


238  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

hands,  or  perhaps  he  thinks  that  it  was  justified 
by  a  good  and  noble  purpose.  Now,  when  he  has 
on  the  tip  of  his  tongue  the  sentence  of  death 
which,  according  to  his  own  utterances,  is  unjust 
to  the  last  degree,  he  affirms  the  innocence  of 
Christ. 

Finally,  he  relegates  the  entire  responsibility  to 
others.  ' '  Look  you  to  it. "  I  shall  not  answer  for 
the  consequences;  they  will  be  upon  your  con- 
sciences and  upon  your  shoulders.  The  peo- 
ple were  satisfied.  They  declared  themselves  to 
be  of  the  same  mind.  But  what  a  dreadful  deed! 
Even  future  generations  were  to  carry  the  weight 
of  guilt.  Even  unborn  children  are  now  pawned 
for  the  price  of  this  Blood.  For  the  people  ex- 
claimed as  with  one  voice,  ''His  blood  be  upon  us 
and  upon  our  children.' '  A  fearful  curse  they 
invoked  upon  themselves,  a  dreadful  curse  upon 
their  children.  How,  after  that,  could  anybody 
be  found  to  curse  himself  and  others?  And  how 
terribly  has  this  curse  been  realized!  It  followed 
the  Jews  like  a  ghastly  shadow,  making  them  shud- 
der at  the  thought  of  it  even  before  the  time  for 
its  fulfilment  had  arrived.  Seized  with  dread  when 
the  apostles  preached  about  the  Risen  Saviour, 
they  exclaimed,  ''You  have  a  mind  to  bring  the 
blood  of  this  man  upon  us. "  ^  And  when  later 
the  powerful  armies  of  their  chosen  king,  the  Ro- 
man emperor,  swept  over  the  country,  the  woeful 
effects   of  the   curse   showed  themselves  in  their 

lActs,  v.,  28. 


THE  CLOSE  OF  THE  TRIAL  239 

most  fearful  colors.  Blood  flowed  in  streams,  the 
deicides  and  their  children  were  slaughtered  by  the 
thousands,  until  finally  that  clamor  of  the  Jews 
for  blood  was  silenced  by  the  ruined  walls  of  the 
holy  City,  the  burning  temple,  the  roads  filled  with 
crucified  people,  the  hills  of  heaped-up  corpses. 
And  even  now  the  curse  has  not  departed  from 
this  people.  Even  now  they  wander  about  in  for- 
eign lands,  like  exiles  far  from  the  paternal  do- 
mains, without  sacrifice,  without  altar,  without  a 
king,  an  object  of  the  anger  of  God  and  of  the 
scorn  of  nations;  a  living  monument  of  their  an- 
cestors^ disgrace. 

But  this  judgment  of  God  should  not  prevent 
us  from  erjang  with  our  whole  soul  and  with  a 
most  yearning  desire,  "His  Blood  be  upon  us!" 
And  you.  Christian  parents,  add  the  prayer,  ''His 
Blood  be  upon  our  children!"  Most  Sacred  Blood 
of  Jesus  Christ,  come  upon  us  and  purify  us.  The 
destroying  angel  beheld  the  blood  of  the  paschal 
lamb  on  the  door-posts  of  the  houses,  and  the  Is- 
raelites were  saved  from  bodily  death.  Protect  us 
then,  O  Jesus,  through  Thy  precious  Blood,  against 
the  onslaughts  of  the  evil  enemy,  protect  us  against 
the  death  of  the  soul.  O  Blood  of  Our  God,  flow 
in  all  Thy  plenitude  into  our  hearts !  Sanctify  us ! 
And  may  not  a  single  drop  be  lost  to  us. 

Finally  the  moment  had  arrived  when  the  trial 
was  to  close  with  the  death-sentence. 


240  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 


III. 

"His  blood  be  upon  us  and  upon  our  children." 
This  declaration  seemed  to  quiet  Pilate.  It  encour- 
aged him  to  order  the  release  of  Barabbas  for  the 
paschal  feast  and  to  pronounce  the  sentence  of 
death  upon  Christ.  Clad  in  the  official  robe  of  a 
Roman  prsetor  and  surrounded  by  soldiers  and 
servants  who  bore  the  insignia  of  civil  power  and 
of  the  penal  court,  Pilate  arose  with  affected  calm, 
dignity  and  majesty.  As  if  by  magic,  the  tumult 
and  clamors  of  the  raving  multitude  ceased.  A 
dead  silence  reigned  in  the  entire  assemblage. 
Every  one  listened,  every  one  was  intent  upon  the 
sentence  of  the  judge.  Every  one  hung  on  his  lips. 
Even  the  angels  descended  from  heaven  to  be  wit- 
nesses of  the  unheard-of  tragedy  and  to  ascertain 
for  what  cause  the  Immortal  One  deserved  death. 
But  what  a  disappointment !  What  an  astounding 
procedure !  There  was  no  trace  of  a  regular  judi- 
cial sentence,  no  indication  of  a  definite  crime, 
without  which  even  a  purposely  unfair  judge 
would  not  venture  a  sentence.  There  was  no  refer- 
ence to  the  statute  according  to  which  the  accused 
had  forfeited  his  life.  There  was  happening  some- 
thing impossible,  such  as  the  world  had  never  be- 
fore witnessed.  Indeed,  many  an  innocent  man 
had  already  been  condemned,  but  no  one  had 
ever  been  condemned  for  being  innocent.  **And 
Pilate,"  says  Holy  Writ,  **gave  sentence  that 
it  should  be  as  they  required.  Jesus  he  deliv- 
ered up  to  their  will  to  be  crucified. ' '     It  was,  then, 


THE  CLOSE  OF  THE  TRIAL  241 

not  to  punish  a  crime,  but  to  please  the  people  and 
to  gratify  their  wishes  that  Pilate  delivered  the 
Redeemer  to  death.  Be  ye  amazed,  0  ye  heavens ! 
May  the  crimson  of  shame  cover  thy  face,  0  earth ! 
The  Son  of  God  is  sentenced  as  a  criminal.  Inno- 
cence is  betrayed  to  sinners,  the  Lamb  to  ravenous 
wolves.  Now  the  prophecy  is  fulfilled :  ' '  The  Son 
of  Man  shall  be  delivered  to  the  Gentiles,  and  shall 
be  mocked  and  scourged,  and  they  will  put  Him 
to  death." 

The  sentence  was  pronounced.  In  the  case  of 
a  murderer  or  robber  the  trial  might  have  lasted 
days  or  weeks.  In  the  case  of  Christ  everything 
was  done  in  a  few  hours.  At  other  times,  O  Pilate, 
thou  couldst  subdue  the  seditious  crowds  with  sol- 
diers and  swords  and  lances;  why  not  now? 
Where  is  thy  courage,  thy  strength  of  will  ?  Why 
didst  thou  not,  at  least,  postpone  the  sentence  till 
the  storm  had  quieted  down?  Wholly  astonished 
at  the  quick  and  favorable  ending  of  the  trial,  the 
crowd  burst  forth  into  wild  rejoicing.  It  roared 
with  pleasure.  It  gave  vent  to  satanic  shouts  of 
derision.  The  chief-priests  meanwhile  crowded 
around  Pilate.  They  complimented  him,  and,  in 
token  of  friendship  and  gratitude,  they  shook  his 
hand.  But  the  most  happy  of  all  was  that  consum- 
mate scoundrel,  Caiphas,  the  high-priest.  He  sent 
messengers  throughout  the  whole  of  Jerusalem  to 
announce  the  joyful  news  and  he  invited  the  whole 
people,  men  and  women,  old  folks  and  children,  to 
take  part  in  the  execution  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son 

of  the  living  God. 
16 


242  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

Mute  and  speechless,  the  Redeemer  stood  before 
the  bar  of  the  tribunal.  Mute  and  speechless  He 
heard  the  cruel  sentence.  Mute  and  speechless  He 
heard  the  blasphemies  and  the  jests  of  His  enemies. 
His  answer  was  a  silence  full  of  heavenly  majesty. 
But  the  sorrows  of  His  humbled  Heart  He  offered 
up  to  God  and  declared  Himself  now  ready  to  suf- 
fer death  for  the  infinite  glory  of  His  heavenly 
Father,  for  the  redemption  of  the  souls  in 
Limbo  and  for  the  salvation  of  the  whole  world. 
It  is  certain,  infallibly  certain,  that  at  this  mo- 
ment Christ  thought  of  each  one  of  us.  We  shall 
thank  Our  Redeemer  for  this  memento.  Indeed, 
we  need  it,  we  need  His  grace.  For  in  paradise, 
the  sentence  of  death  had  been  pronounced  against 
us.  We  all  must  die.  But  alas!  we  shall  not  die 
innocently  as  Christ  died.  Vouchsafe  then  unto 
us,  0  innocent  Saviour,  condemned  to  death  as 
Thou  art,  vouchsafe  unto  us  the  grace,  at  least, 
not  to  die  the  death  of  the  sinner,  but  rather  the 
death  of  the  just. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  CARRYING  OF  THE  CROSS 

"They  took  off  the  cloak  from 
him  and  put  on  him  his  own  gar- 
ments, and  led  him  away  to  crucify 
him."     (St.   Matthew,   xxvii.,   31.) 

Pilate  had  delivered  the  Redeemer  to  the  will 
of  His  accusers  that  they  might  crucify  Him,  and 
they  set  to  work  without  delay.  Since  the  advent 
of  Tiberius  to  the  imperial  throne,  criminals  sen- 
tenced by  the  Roman  senate  were  reprieved  for 
ten  days,  and  when  the  emperor  had  pronounced 
the  sentence,  even  for  thirty  days.  Usually,  at 
least  one  day  of  grace  was  granted.  Very  rarely 
did  the  execution  take  place  on  the  day  of  the  sen- 
tencing. The  chief -priests  would  not  grant  Christ 
such  a  reprieve  for  reasons  already  mentioned  and 
for  fear  lest  Pilate  come  to  his  senses  and  regret 
and  change  the  sentence  of  death  already  pro- 
nounced. Therefore,  they  were  very  anxious  to 
get  Christ  out  of  the  way  as  soon  as  possible.  Let 
us  consider^ 

I.     The  preparations  for  the  last  journey; 

II.     The  journey  to  the  gate  of  the  city. 

iSt.    John,   xix.,    16-22;    St.    Matthew,   xxvii.,    31;    St. 
Mark,  xv.,  20;  St.  Luke,  xxiii.,  32. 
243 


244  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 


The  preparation  for  the  last  journey  consisted 
in  the  following  four  things.  First  the  cross  was 
procured.  Either  it  was  now  hurriedly  con- 
structed, or  it  had  been  made  during  the  final  trial, 
or  perhaps  the  Romans  kept  on  hand  a  supply 
of  crosses  for  purposes  similar  to  the  present  one. 
The  cross  of  Christ  was  at  least  fifteen  feet  long 
including  the  part  in  the  ground.  For  the  feet 
of  the  Saviour  suspended  on  the  cross  were  quite 
distant  from  the  ground,  since  Scripture  says  that 
He  was  exalted.  Then  there  was  a  rod  needed  to 
apply  to  His  mouth  the  sponge  saturated  with 
vinegar.  The  cross-piece  either  at  right  angles 
with  the  main  piece,  or,  in  two  parts,  turned  up- 
wards at  either  side,  may  have  been  six  feet  long. 
Thickness  and  width  were  suited  to  the  purpose 
of  the  cross,  and  we  may  truthfully  say  to  Jesus 
in  our  prayers,  "Who  hast  carried  the  heavy  cross 
for  us." 

Then  they  prepared  the  title  of  guilt  which 
was  to  be  attached  to  the  cross  above  the  head  of 
the  Redeemer.  Wooden  tablets  coated  with  plas- 
ter were  used  for  this  purpose,  and  for  official  no- 
tices there  were  always  some  on  hand.  The  tab- 
let had  on  it  the  name  of  the  crime.  In  the  case 
of  Christ,  Pilate  caused  the  title  to  be  written  in 
the  Latin,  Greek  and  Hebrew  languages,  the  first 
being  the  language  of  the  emperor,  and  the  other 
two  the  popular  tongues.  For  many  Jews,  living 
in  foreign  parts  and  present  for  the  paschal  feast, 


THE  CARRYING  OF  THE  CROSS  245 

understood  the  Greek  better  than  the  Hebrew 
tongue.  Moreover,  the  use  of  three  languages  in 
the^'title  had  a  deeper  meaning.  The  confusion 
of  languages  at  Babylon  was  the  expression  of 
God's  anger.  The  holy  cross,  the  sign  of  recen- 
ciliation,  was  to  restore  the  unity  of  tongues.  In 
the  unity  of  faith  and  of  love  the  peoples  of  all 
tongues  should  be  united  in  the  worship  of  the 
Crucified  One.  The  title  read,  '^  Jesus  of  Naza- 
reth, King  of  the  Jews."  Now  we  have  it  in 
clear  terms  from  the  judge  himself  that  Christ  was 
not  executed  on  account  of  a  crime,  but  because 
He  was  Jesus,  that  is,  the  Redeemer,  and  because 
He  was  King  in  the  realm  of  truth. 

Whether  Pilate,  in  framing  this  title,  purposely 
desired  to  vex  the  chief-priests,  cannot  be  stated 
with   certainty.     It   suffices   to   remark  that  they 
felt    and    showed    themselves    offended    and    ag- 
grieved.    Therefore,   according  to  the  opinion  of 
several   commentators,  they  entered  a   protest  at 
once  in  front  of  the  court  building,  against  the 
wording  of  the  title,  although  St.  John  narrates 
it  as  happening   later  on.     They   said  to  Pilate, 
''Write  not,  the  king  of  the  Jews;  but  that  he 
said:    I  am  the  king  of  the  Jews."    But  Pilate, 
who  towards  the   end  had  been  so  yielding,   an- 
swered, "What  I  have  written,  I  have  written"; 
from  which  words  they  could  draw  the  conclusion, 
"and  thus  shall  it  remain."     For  an  official  docu- 
ment cannot  well  be  changed;  it  might  diminish 
the  respect  due  to  authority.     Thus  Pilate,  unwit- 
tingly gave  testimony  unto  the  truth.    Thus,  unwit- 


246  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

tingly,  at  an  early  date,  did  lie  produce  a  short 
gospel.  Not  to  lose  time  and  not  to  anger  Pilate, 
the  "chief -priests  relinquished  their  wish. 

Meanwhile,  the  soldiers  prepared  the  Saviour 
for  His  last  journey.  They  tore  from  Him  the 
scarlet  mantle  and  put  on  Him  His  own  garment. 
This  was  done,  as  St.  Ambrose  says,  in  order  that, 
clothed  in  His  own  garment,  He  might,  when  led 
forth,  be  more  easily  recognized  by  the  populace 
as  the  now  unmasked  deceiver  Who  had  been  ac- 
claimed by  their  hosannas  a  few  days  before. 
This  change  of  garments  was  again  most  painful 
to  the  Kedeemer.  The  scarlet  mantle  tightly  ad- 
hered to  His  wounded  body,  whence  the  blood  be- 
gan to  flow  anew.  Just  as  painful  to  His  Sacred 
head  was  the  putting  on  of  the  outer  garment. 
It  was  not  in  parts  and  had  but  a  small  opening 
at  the  top  and  therefore  had  to  be  drawn  over  the 
head  to  the  shoulders.  They  then  violently  and 
amid  jests  pushed  against  the  crown  of  thorns,  if 
indeed  they  were  not  constrained  to  remove  it  and 
press  it  on  again,  owing  to  its  long  and  branching 
thorns. 

Finally  they  led  Christ  to  the  place  where  the 
cross  was.  We  cannot  help  but  think  that  at  the 
first  sight  of  it,  undoubtedly  of  His  own  free  will, 
the  Saviour  was  filled  with  fear  and  dismay  and 
that  He  trembled  even  to  the  very  marrow  of  His 
bones.  How  a  child  will  tremble  at  the  sight  of 
the  rod,  a  criminal  at  the  sight  of  instruments  of 
torture,  a  condemned  man  at  the  sight  of  the 
sword  or  of  the   gallows!     Thus  and  even  more 


THE  CARRYING  OF  THE  CROSS  247 

did  the  Saviour  tremble,  for,  sin  excepted,  He  had 
taken  upon  Himself  all  the  infirmities  and  weak- 
nesses of  our  nature.  But  at  the  same  time  His 
soul  raised  itself  from  purely  human  sensations 
to  loftier,  divine  thoughts  and  sentiments.  He 
had  so  often  yearned  for  the  cross.  How  He  had 
longed  to  see  the  sacrifice  consummated  I  Now  the 
desired  hour  had  finally  arrived.  The  Redeemer 
had,  therefore,  hardly  beheld  the  cross,  when  he 
saluted  it  as  the  instrument  of  the  salvation  of  the 
world.  He  embraced  it  as  a  most  intimate  friend, 
long  expected  and  finally  found.  His  Divine  lips 
imprinted  upon  it  a  tender  kiss.  He  pressed  it 
most  joyfully  to  His  Most  Sacred  Heart,  and,  with 
His  own  hands,  He  laid  it  upon  His  hallowed 
shoulder. 

Then  a  trumpet  gives  the  signal  and  the  trium- 
phal procession  of  the  King  of  kings  is  set  in  mo- 
tion. Thus,  in  the  future,  the  Redeemer  will  ap- 
pear with  the  cross  in  the  clouds  of  heaven  to  sit  in 
judgment  upon  the  good  and  the  bad.  Let  us  fol- 
low Our  Saviour  in  His  journey  to  the  gate  of  the 
city. 

II. 

Although  we  know  with  certainty  who  took 
part  in  this  procession,  the  order  in  which  they 
moved  is  not  given.  We  may  imagine  in  the  lead 
the  centurion  (who  was  at  the  head  of  one  hun- 
dred soldiers),  to  whom,  according  to  Holy  Writ, 
had  been  entrusted  the  work  of  escorting  the 
Saviour  to  the  place   of  execution   and  carrying 


248  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

out  the  sentence.  The  commander  of  the  thou- 
sand soldiers  remained  to  guard  the  palace. 
Without  doubt  a  strong  convoy  of  troops  accom- 
panied the  procession  and  surrounded  the  pris- 
oners, to  effectually  hinder  all  attempts  at  rescue. 
The  chief-priests,  scribes  and  ancients  formed  an 
escort  of  honor  to  the  centurion.  Then  followed  a 
soldier,  who  carried  attached  to  his  lance,  as  a 
herald,  the  title  of  Christ's  guilt.  Then  came  the 
Redeemer.  After  Him  followed  the  two  thieves 
with  their  titles  around  their  necks,  under  proper 
military  guard.  According  to  custom,  they  also 
had  to  carry  their  own  crosses,  which  however,  was 
not  very  difficult  for  them  as  they  were  men  of 
strong  constitution  and  accustomed  to  bodily  ex- 
ertion. Nor  had  they  sweat  blood  or  passed  an 
entire  night  in  agony  and  suffering.  Lastly  fol- 
lowed an  immense  throng  of  people  who  were  im- 
pelled from  different  motives  to  witness  the  exe- 
cution, some  from  curiosity,  some  from  blood- 
thirsty morbidness,  others  from  diabolical  malice 
and  a  few  from  sympathy  and  pity. 

Now,  the  various  figures  of  the  Old  Law  were 
rapidly  being  realized.  The  Redeemer,  dragging 
his  cross  to  the  city  gate,  is  innocent  Abel,  who 
was  led  forth  by  his  envious  brother  to  be  slain 
with  a  club  of  wood.  He  is  the  true  Isaac,  Who 
carries  on  His  shoulders  the  wood  of  His  sacri- 
fice; in  fact,  He  takes  His  cross  upon  Himself  in 
the  very  place  where  Isaac  of  old  had  deposited 
the  wood  laid  on  him  by  his  father.^    He  is  the 

1  See  note  13. 


THE  CAERYING  OF  THE  CROSS  249 

true  Moses,  Who  holds  the  rod  in  His  hands  to 
divide  the  Red  Sea  and  to  liberate  His  people  from 
Egyptian  thraldom.  He  is  David,  Who,  with  a 
staff  in  His  hand,  goes  forth  to  meet  Goliath. 

The  procession,  starting  from  Pilate's  mansion, 
moved  in  a  westerly  direction  over  twelve  hun- 
dred paces  through  the  middle  of  the  city.  The 
most  frequented  streets  were  carefully  chosen  for 
the  march.  "Whenever  we  crucify  a  criminal," 
writes  Quintilian,^  ''the  most  populous  streets  are 
selected  so  that  the  multiude  may  look  on  and  be 
seized  with  fear." 

What  the  Redeemer  suffered  on  this  way  of 
the  cross  goes  beyond  all  we  can  conceive.  At 
every  step  on  the  uneven,  hilly  street,  the  wounds 
of  His  scourged  shoulder  become  deeper  and  more 
yawning.  Often  the  heavy  cross-beam  fell  against 
the  thorn-crowned  Head.  The  Saviour,  tired 
unto  death  and  without  strength,  drags  Himself 
wearily  along  under  the  mighty  load.  Suddenly 
the  procession  halts.  What  has  happened?  The 
Almighty,  the  infinitely  Powerful  has  sunk  ex- 
hausted, and  upon  Him  has  fallen  the  wood  of 
martyrdom.  He  writhes  in  pain  in  the  dust  like 
to  a  worm  trodden  upon.  But  the  soldiers  know 
a  remedy.  With  scourges  and  sharp  thorns  ap- 
plied according  to  Roman  usage,  they  help  Him 
to  His  feet,  and  again  Christ  staggers  along.  But 
behold,  after  a  few  hundred  steps,  He  falls  a  sec- 
ond time  and,  near  the  gate  of  the  city,  a  third 

1  Sepp.,  vi.,  303. 


250  HISTOEY  OF  THE  PASSION 

time.^     Our  relapses  into  sin  are  the  cause  of  this. 

If  the  sufferings  of  His  body  were  great,  the  suf- 
ferings of  His  Divine  Heart  were  still  greater. 
I  shall  not  speak  of  the  scorn  of  His  avowed  ene- 
mies, who  gave  vent  to  their  satanic  joy  by  blas- 
pheming Him  and  spitting  upon  Him,  by  blows 
and  kicks,  and  by  throwing  dirt  and  stones  "upon 
Him.  It  caused  Christ  more  sadness  that  the  of- 
ficial sentence  of  death  had  not  failed  to  make 
an  impression  upon  those  who,  during  the  trial, 
had  been  partly  in  sympathy  with  Him.  ''He 
must  then,"  they  said  one  to  another,  "have  been 
an  impostor,  a  magician,  a  blasphemer  and  a 
rebel,  or  matters  would  not  have  taken  such  a  bad 
turn." 

But  the  greatest  grief  of  the  Saviour,  a  grief 
which  pierced  His  Heart,  was  the  sight  of  His  sor- 
rowful Mother.  When  formerly  He  worked  His 
miracles  before  the  astonished  multitudes,  when  He 
celebrated  His  triumphs,  when  amid  the  rejoicings 
of  the  whole  people.  He  entered  Jerusalem,  His 
Blessed  Mother  never  met  Him.  But  now,  after 
the  death-sentence  had  been  finally  pronounced 
against  Him,  the  Queen  of  Martyrs  goes  to  take 
part  in  the  ignominy  and  in  the  cross  of  her  Son, 
and  to  assist  Him  in  the  hour  of  death.  She, 
therefore,  accompanied  by  St.  John,  hurried  after 
the  procession  by  a  circuitous  route,  and,  at  the 
crossing  of  two  streets,  suddenly  stood  face  to 
face  with  Him.     Oh!  what  a  sad  meeting!    What 

1  See  note  14. 


THE  CARRYING  OF  THE  CROSS  251 

a  heart-rending  scene!  Floods  of  tears  stream 
from  the  eyes  of  the  sorrowful  Mother,  floods  of 
tears  from  the  eyes  of  the  Divine  suffering  Son. 
As  burning  fire,  the  sufferings  of  the  Son  tor- 
tured the  heart  of  the  Mother,  as  burning  fire, 
the  sufferings  of  the  Mother  tortured  the  Heart  of 
the  Son.  To  address  each  other  consoling  words 
was  not  allowed  them.  But  their  pitiful  looks 
were  more  eloquent  than  any  words.  Truly  the 
Saviour,  carrying  His  cross  and  meeting  His 
Blessed  Mother,  is  a  scene  which  ought  to  soften  a 
stone  to  pity. 

Finally,  the  column  arrived  at  the  *' Garden 
Gate,''  so  called  from  the  wonderfully  beautiful 
garden  which  lay  just  outside  of  it  and  stretched 
round  about  the  foot  of  Calvary,  the  hill  about  to 
bear  aloft  the  tree  of  life.  The  Redeemer  slowly 
passed  through  the  gate.  The  dignity  of  a  king 
was  upon  His  shoulder.  Now  one  step,  then  an- 
other, then  a  third  and  a  last  step  and  His  back 
was  turned  upon  Jerusalem,  without  recall,  for  all 
times,  for  ever.  A  few  days  before  He  had  com- 
plained, ''How  often  would  I  have  gathered  to- 
gether thy  children,  as  the  hen  doth  gather  her 
chickens  under  her  wings. ' '  ^  But  Jerusalem 
would  not.  It  banished  Him  out  of  its  walls. 
Now  the  time  of  grace  was  lost,  now  the  days  of 
visitation  were  past.  Now  Jerusalem  was  rejected 
and  abandoned  to  destruction  and  ruin. 

As  Christ  turned  His  back  upon  'Jerusalem  and 

iSt.  Matthew,  xxiii.,  37. 


252  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

tlie  Jewish  people,  He  has  also,  in  the  course  of 
the  centuries,  turned  away  from  many  a  Christian 
nation,  from  many  a  Christian  family  and  from 
many  a  Christian  soul,  without  recall,  for  always; 
however,  and  let  us  mark  it  well,  only  when  they, 
like  the  obstinate  Jews,  had  first  violently  driven 
Him   out.     If  many   lands   in   Asia,   Africa   and 
eastern   Europe  where   once   Christian   faith  and 
morality  held  majestic  sway,  lands  which  exhaled 
the  aroma  of  consecrated  virginity  and  which  were 
saturated  with  the  blood  of  martyrs,  are  now  be- 
come  dreadful  deserts,   dreary  and  dying   under 
the  yoke  of  the  effeminate  slaves  of  the  Crescent; 
if  the  imposing  patriarchal  churches  in  which  gen- 
eral Councils  were  held  and  Catholic  doctrine  de- 
fined, are  now  a  heap  of  ruins  still  smoking  from 
the  thunderbolts  hurled  at  them  by  the  Almighty, 
— all  this  has  its  reason  in  the  fact  that  the  people, 
by    rebelling    against    the    supreme   teaching    au- 
thority of  the  Church  or  by  continuing  the  prac- 
tice   of    horrible    impurity    and    of    other    vices, 
dragged   Christ  the   Lord  violently   out   of  their 
cities   and   out   of   their   countries.     If,    in   later 
times,  many  parts  of  Germany  and  of  other  coun- 
tries of  Europe,  by  a  fearful  judgment  of  God, 
were  cut  off  from  the  maternal  trunk  of  the  Cath- 
olic Church  and  are  now  decaying  in  their  false 
beliefs,  the  crime  is  upon  the  conscience  of  those 
princes    and    governments,    who    to    satisfy    their 
pride  and  their  greed,  clung  to  a  runaway,  im- 
moral monk  as  to  a   divinity,  and,  by  violently 
driving  Christ  in  His  priests  over  the  frontiers, 
also  most  cruelly  banished  Christ  from  the  hearts 


THE  CARRYING  OF  THE  CROSS  253 

of  their  subjects.  If,  furthermore,  we  behold  in 
this  country  many  families  descended  from  Cath- 
olic ancestors,  but  now  in  the  clutches  of  infidelity, 
of  heresy,  of  free-thinking  or  of  secret  societies, 
the  reason  of  it  is  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that 
the  parents  either  by  an  unchristian  education,  by 
irreligious  schooling  given  the  children,  or  by  ad- 
mitting the  spirit  of  the  world  into  the  sanctuary 
of  the  family,  showed  Christ  the  door  against  His 
will,  or  closed  the  door  on  Him  from  the  very 
start  by  beginning  their  married  life  with  sac- 
rilegious confessions  and  marriages  outside  the 
Church.  If  finally  there  are  Catholics,  who,  not- 
withstanding their  Christian  education,  live  like 
pagans  and  apparently  enjoy  it,  we  may  be  sure 
that  it  cost  them  more  difficulty  and  more  efforts 
to  drive  Christ  forever  from  their  souls,  than  it 
cost  the  chief-priests  to  lead  Christ  out  of  Jeru- 
salem. 

But  there  is  nothing  more  terrible  than  to  re- 
ject Christ.  Should  there  be  among  us  an  unfor- 
tunate soul  who  has  rejected  Him  by  mortal  sin,  let 
him  use  the  time  of  visitation  and  of  grace  and,  by 
prayer,  contrition  and  works  of  penance,  force  the 
Redeemer  speedily  to  return.  But  we  should  all 
renew  our  resolutions  to  keep  Christ  with  us  and 
in  us  at  any  cost.  Let  us  ask  Him  for  this  grace 
in  the  words  of  the  disciples  who  went  to  Emmaus : 
''Stay  with  us  because  it  is  towards  evening.*' 
Yea,  may  Christ  remain  with  us,  may  He  remain 
in  our  country,  may  He  remain  in  our  families, 
may  He  remain  in  our  hearts  and  unite  us  with 
Himself  for  all  eternity. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE  MARCH  TO  THE  PLACE  OF  EXECUTION 

"  And  as  they  led  him  away,  they 
laid  hold  of  one  Simon  of  Cyrene, 
coming  from  the  country:  and  they 
laid  the  cross  on  him  to  carry  after 
Jesus.  And  there  followed  him  a 
great  multitude  of  people,  and  of 
women  who  bewailed  and  lamented 
him."     (St.  Luke,  xxiii.,  26-27.) 

After  the  Redeemer,  carrying  His  cross,  had 
passed  through  the  "Garden  Gate,"  the  procession, 
in  the  order  already  described,  slowly  wended  its 
way  towards  Mount  Calvary.  At  some  distance 
from  the  ribald  mob,  followed  the  sorrowful 
mother  and  St.  John.  They  were  joined,  probably 
at  the  gate  of  the  city,  by  those  pious  women 
whom  we  shall  meet  later  on  with  ]\Iary  at  the 
foot  of  the  Cross.  There  is  only  one  circumstance 
which  makes  this  second  part  of  the  way  of  the 
Cross  remarkable:  the  circumstance  that,  for  the 
first  time  since  the  beginning  of  His  Passion, 
Christ  receives  sympathy  from  the  Jews  and,  there- 
fore, relief  and  consolation.  In  the  first  place, 
the  chief-priests  show  sympathy,  albeit  a  cruel 
sympathy.  They  prevail  on  the  soldiers  to  take 
the  cross  from  Christ  and  to  make  a  stranger  carry 
254 


THE  MARCH  TO  CALVARY  255 

it.  Then  He  received  pity  from  the  women  who 
were  among  the  throng;  they  lamented  and  be- 
wailed Him,  and  one  of  their  number  even  offered 
Him  her  kerchief  to  wipe  off  the  drops  of  blood. 
Let  us  therefore  consider  ^ 

I.     The  sympathy  of  the  chief-priests; 
II.     The  sympathy  of  the  women  of  Jerusalem. 


The  farther  the  procession  advanced,  the  greater 
became  the  anxiety  of  Christ's  enemies  lest  He 
should  not  reach  Mount  Calvary.  While  still 
within  the  city  walls  He  had  thrice  broken  down 
under  the  cross.  But  now,  when  the  ascent  of  the 
hill  began,  His  exhaustion  reached  its  climax. 
There  was  danger,  then,  that  Christ  would  suc- 
cumb to  weakness  and  not  die  the  ignominous 
death  of  the  Cross.  This  must  be  prevented.  The 
enemies  therefore  pondered  over  how  to  afford 
Him  some  relief.  But  who  was  to  help  the  Re- 
deemer carry  the  cross?  Even  the  Roman  soldiers 
would  have  been  ashamed  to  do  it.  For  the  cross 
was  the  wood  of  ignominy  and  a  curse.  Just  at 
this  juncture  they  were  met  by  a  stranger,  whose 
name  was  Simon  of  Cyrene.  From  his  Jewish 
name  some  commentators  draw  the  conclusion  that 
he  was  of  Hebrew  origin.  But  others  opine  with 
St.  Hilary,  St.  Ambrose,  St.  Leo  and  Venerable 
Bede,  that  he  was  a  heathen.  For,  after  the  rejec- 
tion of  the  deicidal  synagogue,  the  pagan  world 

iSt.  Matthew,  xxvii.,  32;  St.  Mark,  xv.,  21;  St.  Luke, 
xxiii.,  26-3L 


256  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

was  called  to  the  imitation  of  Christ.  A  pagan, 
then,  should  have  the  honor  of  carrying  the  cross 
after  Christ.  Perhaps  Simon  was  a  convert  to 
Judaism.  He  was  returning  from  his  field  outside 
of  Jerusalem  to  the  city,  as  it  was  almost  noon- 
time. As  soon  as  the  chief-priests  saw  him,  they 
advised  the  soldiers  to  lay  the  cross  on  the  shoul- 
ders of  the  stranger. 

This  proposition  greatly  pleased  the  soldiers. 
Presumably  they  had  been  active  since  midnight 
and  were  therefore  very  tired.  And  as  events  had 
followed  each  other  in  rapid  succession,  they  had 
probably  had  no  opportunity  of  taking  any  nour- 
ishment. For  this  reason  they  had  for  some  time 
been  impatient  to  see  the  end  of  the  whole  affair 
and  had  forcibly  cursed  every  delay  occasioned  by 
the  repeated  falls  of  the  Saviour.  They  therefore 
made  use  of  the  privilege  of  Roman  soldiers  in 
the  provinces  of  pressing  into  service  any  one  not 
a  Roman,  in  a  case  of  necessity.  They  seized 
Simon  and  put  the  cross  on  him.  Although  he  in- 
wardly rebelled,  he  preserved  a  cheerful  face,  be- 
cause to  the  one  who  declined  to  serve  the  Romans 
applied  severe  punishments.  *'When  pressed  into 
service,"  says  the  pagan  writer  Arrian,^  ''and 
driven  by  the  soldiers,  let  it  happen,  resist  not, 
grumble  not,  or  thou  shalt  receive  blows  and  lose 
thy  mule  besides."  Whether  Simon  carried  the 
cross  alone  or  whether  he  merely  helped  the  Sav- 
iour  carry  it,   cannot  be   definitely   stated.     The 

iSepp.,  vi.,  306. 


THE  MARCH  TO  CALVARY  257 

former  opinion  is  the  more  probable.  It  is  more 
in  accord  with  the  words  of  St.  Luke  that  Simon 
carried  the  cross  after  Jesus,  and  again,  it  is  in 
harmony  with  the  object  of  the  chief -priests,  which 
was  to  prevent,  at  any  price,  the  untimely  death  of 
Christ. 

Here  the  question  presents  itself:  why  did 
Christ,  Who  on  other  occasions  hailed  with  de- 
light new  sufferings  and  never  accepted  relief,  now 
make  an  exception  to  His  usual  custom?  Un- 
doubtedly His  exhaustion  had  reached  the  extreme 
limit  and,  humanly  speaking,  He  could  no  longer 
drag  His  cross  along  without  help.  But  had  He 
not  already  suffered  to  an  extent  far  beyond  the 
limit  of  natural  laws?  Was  there  not  required  a 
continued  miracle,  even  before  this,  to  enable  Him 
to  sustain  such  great  sufferings?  Why,  then,  this 
notable  exception  during  the  way  of  the  cross? 
First,  the  Kedeemer  wished  to  remind  us  that  sin- 
ners, represented  by  Simon,  should  in  justice  carry 
the  cross  and  suffer  death,  and  that  His  death  was 
due  to  sinners  and  not  to  Himself.  Therefore, 
after  first  bearing  the  cross  as  a  sign  of  His  vic- 
tory over  Satan,  Christ  relinquished  it  to  Simon. 
Then  He  would  again  impress  on  our  hearts  the 
important  truth  so  often  taught  by  Himself,  that 
to  obtain  eternal  salvation,  it  was  not  sufficient 
that  He  should  carry  the  cross  for  us,  but  it  was 
necessary  that  we,  also,  should  carry  it  after  Him. 
He  inculcates,  finally,  that  we  must  patiently  bear 
not  only  the  cross  sent  to  us  directly  by  God,  but 

also  the  cross  imposed  on  us  by  the  malice  of  men, 

17 


258  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION" 

as  it  was  imposed  on  Simon  of  Cyrene.  The  lat- 
ter cross  is  certainly  no  rarity  and,  it  is  withal, 
very  burdensome.  There  are  parents  who  drag 
along  a  heavy  cross.  Who  loaded  it  upon  them? 
Unruly  children,  children  who  are  disobedient  and 
given  to  worldly  pleasures.  Many  a  Christian 
husband  has  a  heavy  cross  to  bear.  Who  has  bur- 
dened him  with  it?  A  wife  forgetful  of  duty, 
negligent  in  household  affairs  and  in  the  training 
of  children,  and  carrying  on  flirtations  with  sus- 
picious characters.  Many  a  wife  has  a  heavy  cross 
to  carry.  Who  has  placed  it  upon  her?  A  hus- 
band given  to  drink,  whose  tongue  continually  de- 
files his  home  with  curses  and  blasphemies.  There 
are  many  other  Christians  who  wearily  drag  along 
their  cross.  Who  has  put  it  upon  them?  Calum- 
niating tongues  that  have  robbed  them  of  their 
good  name. 

Indeed,  in  itself,  it  is  difficult  and  humiliating 
to  carry  the  cross  patiently  and  with  resignation 
to  God's  Holy  will.  But  it  becomes  easy,  when, 
like  Simon  of  Cyrene,  we  continually  have  Christ 
before  our  eyes  and  look  more  upon  Him  than  at 
the  cross  dragging  behind  us.  And  if,  at  the 
first  moment,  Simon  stood  abashed  at  the  shame- 
ful burden  of  the  cross,  this  burden,  through  the 
grace  of  the  Eedeemer,  became  lighter  and  sweeter 
at  every  step,  aye  so  sweet  that  at  the  end  he  gave 
up  the  cross  with  as  much  reluctance  as  when  he 
at  first  received  it  upon  his  shoulders.  Then  let 
us  look  at  the  fruits  and  the  usefulness  of  carry- 
ing the  cross.     In   consequence  of  it,   Simon,   as 


THE  MARCH  TO  CALVARY  259 

well  as  his  entire  family,  afterwards  beUered  in 
ChrisL  His  sons  Bnfns  and  Alexander  became 
bishops ;  he  and  his  sons  became  saints  of  the  Cath- 
olic Church,  saints  of  heaTen.  Happy  then  is  he 
whom  Grod  has  destined  to  cany  the  cross. 

Let  US  now  consider  the  sympathy  of  the  women 
of  Jerusalem. 

n. 

They  manifested  their  sympathy  by  wailing  and 
lamenting.  This  probably^  happened  outside  the 
city  where  the  road  was  considerably  wider,  which 
made  it  possible  for  the  women  to  gather  around 
the  Saviour  in  great  numbers.  This  they  could 
more  easily  do  as  He  was  no  longer  forced  to  carry 
the  cross.  It  is  and  will  always  be  to  the  immortal 
glory  of  the  female  sex  that,  whilst  not  one  of  the 
men  of  Jerusalem  in  the  long  column  did  the  least 
to  aUcYiate  the  burden  of  the  Saviour,  these  women 
shed  bitter  tears  and  showed  their  compassion  by 
loud  lamentations.  As  a  general  rule,  we  find  in 
the  history  of  the  Passion  more  pity  among  the 
women  than  among  the  men.  Procula,  the  wife  of 
PUate,  had  taken  the  lead.  It  is  just  so  even  now. 
The  attendance  at  sermons  on  the  Passion  and 
at  the  devotions  of  the  way  of  the  Cross  show  that 
when  there  is  question  of  meditating  on  the  suf- 
fering Bedeemer  and  of  thereby  showing  Him  sym- 
pathy, it  is  as  a  rule  women  and  girls  who  flock 
around  Christ  For  this  reason  it  is  so  much  the 
more  inspiring  and  edifying  to  see  in  some  placet 

1  See  note  15. 


260  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

SO  many  men  and  youths  affording  a  laudable  ex- 
ception to  the  general  rule.  They  thereby  give 
honorable  testimony  to  their  own  pious  sentiments 
and  their  manly  character.  They  are  worthy  imi- 
tators of  St.  John,  of  Nicodemus,  of  Joseph  of 
Arimathea. 

The  public  manifestation  of  sympathy  on  the 
part  of  the  women  of  Jerusalem  who,  oblivious  of 
the  soldiers  and  the  chief-priests,  loudly  raised 
their  laments,  borders  on  the  heroic.  For,  accord- 
ing to  the  report  of  the  Jewish  writers/  it  was 
strictly  forbidden  to  bewail  loudly  any  one  who 
was  executed  with  the  consent  of  the  grand  coun- 
cil. The  nearest  relatives  were  even  compelled  to 
salute  the  judges  and  the  witnesses  as  a  sign  that 
they  harbored  no  grudge  against  them  and  that 
they  were  satisfied  with  the  sentence.  This  cere- 
mony could,  of  course,  not  take  place  in  the  case 
of  Christ,  because  the  execution  followed  the  sen- 
tence so  quickly.  The  Romans — and  Christ  was 
condemned  and  executed  by  the  Romans — over- 
stepped in  this  regard  all  the  bounds  of  human 
decency.  It  was  nothing  unusual  for  the  Roman 
tyrants  to  fojrce  parents  stolidly  to  assist  at  the 
execution  of  their  children  without  shedding  a 
tear.  The  emperor  Caligula  sent  a  litter  to  a 
father  who  excused  himself  on  account  of  indis- 
position. The  same  emperor  invited  another  to  a 
festive  banquet  immediately  after  the  execution 
of  his  son.     It  is  all  the  more  surprising  that  on 

1  Sepp.,  vi.,  310. 


THE  MARCH  TO  CALVARY  261 

the  one  hand,  notwithstanding  all  prohibitions, 
the  women  loudly  bewailed  the  Divine  Sufferer 
and  thereby,  as  it  were,  publicly  accused  the  judge 
of  unfairness,  and  that,  on  the  other  hand,  the  sol- 
diers did  not  for  that  reason  molest  the  women. 
The  women  were  indifferent  to  the  noise  and  up- 
roar and  curses  of  the  chief-priests.  They  paid 
no  attention  to  them. 

The  Saviour  recognized  the  heroism  of  these 
women.  Forgetting  His  own  sorrows,  He  spoke 
kindly  to  them  and  rewarded  their  sympathy  with 
words  of  zeal  and  admonitions  to  be  contrite  and 
repentant.  For  among  all  these  women  in  the 
large  crowd  there  were  but  few  who  were  real  fol- 
lowers of  the  Lord.  The  latter  accompanied  the 
sorrowful  mother  at  some  distance  in  the  rear. 
The  tears  shed  by  most  of  the  weeping  women 
were  not  the  result  of  supernatural  causes  nor  of 
sorrow  over  the  injuries  done  to  Christ  as  the  Son 
of  God.  They  arose  from  natural  human  pity. 
Undoubtedly  some  of  them  did  not  even  believe  in 
His  divinity.  They  saw  in  Christ  either  an  inno- 
cent man  condemned  to  death,  or  a  criminal  who, 
though  guilty,  was  punished  beyond  all  reason- 
able measure.  The  contemplation  of  His  suffer- 
ings was,  therefore,  for  most  of  these  women  with- 
out any  spiritual  value  or  merit.  For  this  reason 
the  Saviour  demands  of  them  that  they  cease  to 
bewail  Him,  but  that  instead  they  weep  for  them- 
selves, for  their  sins,  and  for  the  sins  of  their  chil- 
dren. But  to  help  them  to  a  supernatural  sor- 
row. He  pointed  out  to  them  the  divine  judgment 


262  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

which  would  overtake  Jerusalem  on  account  of 
the  deicide,  foretelling  the  complete  destruction  of 
the  holy  city  from  which  they  might  learn  the 
dreadfulness  and  malice  of  sin.  ''For  if  in  the 
green  wood  they  do  these  things,  what  shall  be 
done  in  the  dry?"  The  Redeemer  meant  to  say, 
if  I,  the  Innocent  One,  resembling  the  green  wood, 
must  suffer  so  much  for  the  sins  of  others  with 
which  I  am  burdened,  what  will  happen  to  the  dry 
wood,  to  the  impenitent  sinner  himself?  Thus  in 
gratitude  for  their  sympathy,  natural  as  it  was, 
the  Redeemer  offered  these  women  cogent  motives 
for  sorrow  and  penance ;  in  other  words.  He  taught 
them  the  right  manner  of  contemplating  His  bitter 
Passion. 

This  lesson  of  the  Saviour  deserves  every  at- 
tention on  our  part  also.  For  it  may  happen  that 
we  also,  especially  those  of  the  female  sex  who 
are  naturally  more  tender-hearted  and  conse- 
quently more  prone  to  pity  and  to  tears,  contem- 
plate the  sufferings  of  Christ  in  a  manner  too 
natural  and  therefore  barren  of  result.  Of  course, 
we  all  believe  that  the  Crucified  is  the  Son  of  God. 
But  we  forget  this  too  readily  in  meditating  upon 
His  Passion,  and  we  see  in  Him  only  a  suffer- 
ing man.  If  meditation  on  His  Passion  and  death 
is  to  be  really  pleasing  to  Christ  and  salutary  for 
our  souls,  we  must  recognize  in  Him  the  suffering 
God-man.  Such  a  meditation  must  be  joined  with 
contrition  for  our  sins  or  at  least  it  must  lead  us  to 
a  spirit  of  contrition  and  of  penance. 

There    was,    however,    among    these    weeping 


THE  MARCH  TO  CALVARY  263 

women  one  who,  according  to  tradition,  brought 
relief  to  Christ  in  His  sufferings  not  merely  by 
cries  and  tears,  but  also  by  her  deed.  The  name 
of  this  woman  was  Seraphia,  or,  according  to  some, 
Berenice.  She  is  said  to  have  belonged  to  the  fam- 
ily of  Herod  and  to  have  been  the  same  woman 
whom  the  Saviour  had  relieved  of  a  bloody  flux  of 
long  years'  standing.  The  memory  of  this  benefit 
had  never  left  her.  Now  she  beholds  the  bene- 
factor in  such  misery,  in  such  pain,  and  His 
countenance  so  covered  with  blood  that  in  her 
love  she  puts  aside  all  fear  and  all  human  con- 
siderations ;  she  forces  her  way  through  the  crowd ; 
she  heeds  neither  soldiers  nor  Jews ;  she  falls  pros- 
trate before  her  Saviour;  she  holds  up  to  Him 
her  kerchief  and  begs  Him  to  wipe  away  with  it 
the  drops  of  blood.  The  soldiers  stand  aghast  but 
do  not  interfere.  Christ  does  as  she  desires.  But 
what  was  her  astonishment,  when  the  Redeemer 
handed  back  the  cloth  to  her,  to  behold  imprinted 
on  it  the  image  of  Christ's  Holy  Face.  No  one 
had  ever  received  such  a  gift,  the  portrait  of  the 
Son  of  God.  She  preserved  it  carefully,  and  daily 
honored  and  contemplated  it.  She  would  not  have 
parted  with  it  for  all  the  world's  treasures.  It 
was  only  to  preserve  it  to  Christendom  that  she 
afterwards  gave  the  priceless  treasure  to  St. 
Clement,  the  third  successor  of  the  Prince  of  the 
apostles,  St.  Peter.  From  that  time  she  was  no 
longer  called  Seraphia,  but  Veronica,  which  means, 
the  true  image. 

Nowadays,    alas!    the    image    of    the    suffering 


264  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

Saviour  is  not  held  in  such  esteem  or  at  such  value 
by  many  Christians.  Their  dwellings  are  adorned 
with  various  pictures,  but  you  will  look  in  vain 
for  the  image  of  the  Crucified  One.  And  indeed, 
the  images  of  the  suffering  Saviour  and  of  His 
Blessed  Mother  would  be  out  of  place  among  all 
the  ridiculous,  even  indecorous  and  obscene  pic- 
tures which  are  found,  not  only  in  art  galleries  and 
in  the  palaces  of  a  neo-pagan  world,  but  also  in 
Christian  houses,  in  the  houses  of  such  as  still 
make  pretensions  to  religion  and  Catholicism. 
*'What  concord  hath  Christ  with  Belial?"  ^ 

In  conclusion,  let  us  make  a  short  application 
flowing  from  the  incidents  just  considered.  It  is 
true  that  Jesus  Christ  is  no  longer  in  a  passible 
state.  He  has  entered  into  His  glory,  into  the 
splendor  of  heaven.  We  cannot  therefore  relieve 
Him  personally  of  His  cross  as  did  Simon  of  Cy- 
rene,  nor  present  Him  the  towel  as  did  Veronica. 
But  the  suffering  Redeemer  still  lives  in  His  suf- 
fering, cross-laden  brethren,  and  the  sick  and  the 
dying  need  our  ministrations.  Now  if  we  consider 
that  Christ  has  said,  *'As  long  as  you  did  it  to 
one  of  these,  my  least  brethren,  you  did  it  to  me, ' '  - 
it  follows  that  we  should  firmly  resolve  to  lighten, 
as  much  as  we  can,  the  cross  of  our  fellow-men  by 
works  of  mercy,  especially  the  cross  of  poverty, 
and  to  assist  the  sick  and  the  dying  in  all  charity 
and  patience,  to  wipe  from  their  brows  the  feverish 
sweat,  to  encourage  and  to  console  them.     Christ, 

HI.  Cor.,  vi.,  15. 

2  St.  Matthew,  xxv.,  40. 


THE  MARCH  TO  CALVARY  265 

in  His  reward,  will  be  extremely  generous  to  ns. 
He  may  not  impress  His  image  upon  the  sweat- 
cloth,  as  He  did  for  St.  Veronica,  but — and  that 
is  more  precious — He  will  impress  it  upon  our 
hearts.  The  cross,  however,  which  we  carry 
patiently  and  joyfully  after  Christ,  the  cross 
which  we  strive  to  lighten  for  our  fellow-men, 
shall  lead  us,  as  it  did  Simon  of  Cyrene,  to  holi- 
ness and  to  the  joys  of  paradise. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE  EXECUTION 

"And  when  they  were  come  to  the 
place  which  is  called  Calvary,  they 
crucified  him  there." 

(St.  Luke,  xxiii.,  33.) 

Very  often,  in  the  thirty-three  years  of  His 
life,  the  Saviour  had  been  extremely  weary.  He 
was  weary  on  the  return  from  Egypt.  He  was 
weary  when,  at  the  age  of  twelve  years,  He  went 
up  to  Jerusalem.  Hard  labor  in  the  house  of 
Nazareth  and,  later  on,  during  His  apostolic 
travels  had  often  tired  Him.  He  was  fatigued 
when  the  Samaritan  woman  met  Him  at  the  well 
of  Jacob  and  when  he  sought  the  lost  sheep  of  the 
house  of  Israel.  But  He  had  never  been  so  weary 
as  on  this  day  when  He  had  to  ascend  Mount  Cal- 
vary. But  lo!  now  they  had  arrived  at  the  sum- 
mit of  the  hill,  and  all  His  tiring  wanderings  were 
to  have  an  end  for  evermore.  Only  a  few  hours 
more  and  He  would  enter  upon  His  eternal  rest. 

Mount    Calvary,    also    called    Golgotha    or    the 

Skull,  was,  in  itself,  not  a  very  high  hill.     What 

made  it  look  imposing  was  the  depressed  level  of 

the  lower  part  of  the  city.     It  had  its  name  from 

266 


THE  EXECUTION  267 

its  resemblance  to  a  human  skull.^  Here,  then, 
the  Redeemer  was  to  die.  The  execution  of  a 
criminal  was  never  permitted  to  take  place  inside 
the  walls  of  the  city.  St.  Paul  calls  our  special 
attention  to  the  fact  that  Christ  had  to  die  out- 
side the  gate  of  the  city,  just  as  the  scape-goat 
laden  with  the  sins  of  the  people,  had  to  be  led 
outside  the  camp.  ''Christ,"  says  St.  Leo,^  '*was 
slain  as  our  paschal  lamb.  But  because  He  offered 
Himself  to  the  Father  as  the  new  and  real  sacri- 
fice of  propitiation.  He  was  to  be  crucified,  not  in 
the  temple  whose  privilege  of  sacredness  was  at  an 
end,  nor  inside  the  walls  of  the  city  which  was 
awaiting  its  destruction  on  account  of  its  crime, 
but  'outside  the  camp,'  in  order  that,  after  the 
mysteries  of  the  ancient  sacrifice  had  ceased,  the 
new  sacrifice  might  be  offered  on  a  new  altar,  and 
that  the  cross  of  Christ  be  an  altar  not  for  the 
temple,  but  for  the  entire  world.'' 

When  they  arrived  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  the 
two  thieves  were  probably  first  scourged  accord- 
ing to  the  Roman  law.  Flagellation  always  pre- 
ceded crucifixion.  Meanwhile  the  Saviour,  Who 
had  already  been  scourged,  is  said  to  have  been 
brought  into  a  rocky  cavern  and  His  feet  put  in  the 
stocks  to  prevent  His  escape.  This  probably  gave 
rise  to  the  legend  of  the  Saviour's  prison,  although 

1  Wetzer  und  Welte,  edit.  2,  Article  —  Calvarienberg. 
Lohmann,  S.  J.  Das  Leben  und  Leiden  U.  H.  J.  Chr.  Edit. 
2,  p.  269. 

2  Serm.  8  de  Pass.  c.  5. 


268  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

this  legend  may  also  have  reference  to  the  cell  in 
which  He  was  confined  during  the  night. 

When  the  scourging  of  the  thieves  was  at  an 
end,  they  proceeded  to  the  execution  of  the  Ee- 
deemer.     Let  us  consider  ^ 

I.     The  final  preparations  for  the  crucifixion; 

II.     The  crucifixion  itself. 


The  last  preparations  for  the  crucifixion  con- 
sisted in  offering  the  Saviour  wine  with  myrrh 
and  in  stripping  Him  of  His  garments.  The  first 
incident  is  narrated  by  St.  Mark  in  the  following 
terms:  ''They  gave  him  to  drink  wint  mingled 
with  myrrh;  but  he  took  it  not."  The  evangelist 
St.  Matthew  describes  it  thus:  "They  gave  him 
wine  to  drink  mingled  with  gall.  And  when  he 
had  tasted,  he  would  not  drink."  Apparently 
these  two  narratives  are  contradictory  in  two  par- 
ticulars. St.  Mark  says  that  the  wine  was  mixed 
with  myrrh,  whilst  St.  Matthew  says  that  it  was 
mixed  with  gall.  Again,  the  former  states  that 
the  Saviour  did  not  drink,  while  the  latter  asserts 
that  He  tasted  and  then  refused  the  potion.  But, 
as  stated,  the  contradiction  is  only  an  apparent 
one.  The  Greek  word,  which  we  translate  as 
meaning  *'gall,"  has  a  broader  signification.  It 
means  not  only  gall  proper,  but  in  general  every 
bitter,  aromatic  herb,  such  as  aloes,  cassia,  saffron 

iSt.  Matthew,  xxvii,  33,  34;   St.  Mark,  xv.,  22-28;   St. 
Luke,  xxiii.,  33;  St.  John,  xix.,  18. 


THE  EXECUTION  269 

and  myrrh,  and  even  every  liquid  in  which  such 
herbs  have  been  steeped.  Furthermore,  the  second 
difficulty  arising  from  the  fact  that  St.  Mark  does 
not  mention  that  Christ  tasted  the  myrrh  and 
wine  is  removed  by  the  consideration  that  St. 
Matthew,  in  narrating  this  incident,  had  in  mind 
the  prophetic  passage,  ''And  they  gave  me 
gall  for  my  food, ' '  ^  which  denotes  that  Christ 
would  actually  take  some  of  this  bitter  aliment.^ 
St.  Matthew  therefore  describes  the  same  incident 
which  St.  Mark  records,  only  more  fully  and  more 
definitely. 

In  order  to  lessen  the  pains  of  the  execution, 
it  was  customary  with  the  Jews  to  offer  to  those 
who  were  condemned  to  death  a  generous  drink 
of  wine  to  which  had  been  added  benumbing 
opiates  and  sleeping  potions.  The  myrrh  also  had, 
to  a  high  degree,  the  power  of  deadening  the 
sensory  nerves.  Usually  it  was  compassionate 
women,  and  sometimes  noble  matrons  who  deemed 
it  an  honor  to  tender  this  service  of  charity  to  the 
condemned.  In  other  cases  the  myrrh  and  wine 
was  furnished  at  public  expense.  This  custom  was 
continued  under  the  Roman  praetors. 

The  drink  of  criminals  was  therefore  presented 
to  the  Redeemer.  He  tasted  it,  but  did  not  empty 
the  cup.  He  would  not  die  in  a  condition  of 
stupor  as  did  the  pagan  philosopher,  Socrates, 
but  in  the  full  possession  of  His  senses.  For,  not- 
withstanding all  His  sufferings,  the  Redeemer  had 

1  Psalms,  Ixviii.j,  22. 

2  See  note  16. 


270  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

not  yet  suffered  any  particular  pain  in  His  tongue 
and  in  His  palate.  This  however  had  to  happen 
to  Him  as  well  in  reparation  for  all  sins  of  the 
tongue,  for  all  sins  of  blasphemy,  of  uncharitable 
words,  of  calumny  and  of  obscene  language,  as  in 
reparation  for  all  sins  of  intemperance,  and  for 
all  transgressions  of  the  law  of  fast  and  absti- 
nence. For  this  reason  the  Saviour  sipped  the 
wine  which,  owing  to  the  myrrh  with  which  it  was 
mingled,  had  a  very  bitter  and  sickening  taste. 

Then  Christ  was  despoiled  of  His  garments.  It 
was  a  custom  of  the  Romans  to  strip  to  the  loin- 
cloth those  who  were  to  die  on  the  cross.^  As  we 
have  witnessed  a  similar  scene  at  the  scourging, 
we  may  pass  briefly  over  this  one.  I  wish  to  re- 
mark merely  that  this  last  disrobing  was  much 
more  painful  than  the  first,  especially  to  the  sacred 
shoulder  on  which  Christ  had  carried  the  cross. 
The  wounds  torn  open  anew,  burned  like  fire. 
Moreover,  it  was  much  more  humiliating  because 
it  took  place  not  only  in  presence  of  the  soldiers 
as  before,  but  in  presence  of  the  whole  people  and 
of  persons  of  both  sexes.  But  the  Redeemer  de- 
sired to  offer  a  complete  and  superabundant  sat- 
isfaction for  the  shameless  crimes  of  mankind,  and 
as  He  had  pledged  Himself  to  poverty  upon  His 
advent  into  this  world.  He  would  remain  true  to 
this  pledge  until  death  and  die  in  the  embrace  of 
direst  poverty.  Let  us  now  pass  on  to  the  con- 
sideration of  the  crucifixion. 

iSee  note  17. 


THE  EXECUTION  271 


II. 


To  begin  with,  let  us  consider  the  reasons  for 
which  the  Saviour  wished  to  undergo  this  very 
manner  of  death  and  no  other. 

We  are  already  acquainted  with  the  principal 
reason  which  induced  the  chief -priests,  scribes  and 
Pharisees  to  insist  on  the  crucifixion.  They  wished 
to  vent  on  the  Redeemer  all  their  anger  and  hatred, 
therefore  they  chose  the  most  cruel  manner  of 
death.  Their  purpose  was  to  cover  the  name  of 
Christ  with  ignominy  and  disperse  His  following, 
therefore  they  chose  for  Him  the  most  dishonora- 
ble death.  "It  is  a  misdemeanor,"  exclaims  a 
Roman  writer,  ''to  bind  a  free  citizen;  a  crime, 
to  beat  him;  but  it  is  almost  parricide  to  con- 
demn him  to  the  cross."  St.  Paul  also  represents 
the  death  on  the  cross  as  the  greatest  of  humilia- 
tions. Another  reason  may  be  taken  from  the  cir- 
cumstance that  the  cry,  ''Crucify  Him!"  was 
heard  for  the  first  time  immediately  after  the 
choice  between  Christ  and  Barabbas  had  resulted 
in  favor  of  the  latter.  The  Jews  transferred  to 
Christ  the  punishment  of  the  cross  deserved  by 
Barabbas. 

The  Romans  themselves,  furthermore,  signifi- 
cantly elevated  on  the  cross  those  who  had  rebelled 
against  the  emperor  and  who  had  striven  by  strategy 
or  force,  to  be  elevated  to  the  throne.  Besides, 
as  they  had  placed  on  the  Redeemer's  head  the 
crown  of  a  king,  they  ought  also  to  provide  for 
Him  a  royal  throne,  such  a  throne,  in  fact,   as 


272  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

would  be  in  keeping  with  the  coronation  cere- 
monies. 

Then,  the  Heavenly  Father  desired  to  be  glori- 
fied in  the  death  of  His  Son.  The  more  painful, 
therefore,  and  disgraceful  this  death  was,  the 
more  would  it  redound  to  His  glory  and  the  more 
brilliantly  would  He  reveal  the  Power  of  the  Son, 
Who  overcame  the  world  and  made  men  partakers 
of  the  honors  and  wealth  of  heaven,  not  with  the 
sword  nor  by  means  of  gold  and  silver,  but  through 
the  folly  of  the  cross. 

Again,  the  Redeemer  had  come  into  the  world 
to  overthrow  the  dominion  of  Satan,  who  had  over- 
come our  first  parents  through  the  fruit  of  the 
tree,  and  to  destroy  the  tyranny  of  sin  and  of 
death.  He  had  come  into  the  world  to  reconcile 
heaven  and  earth,  to  embrace  all  men  with  out- 
stretched arms  and  to  press  them  to  His  heart. 
He  could  hardly  accomplish  all  this  better  than  by 
hanging  between  heaven  and  earth  on  the  tree  of 
the  cross.  The  Church  therefore  sings  in  joy  and 
exultation,  *' Through  the  wood  we  became  slaves, 
and  through  the  wood  of  the  cross  we  again  found 
freedom.  Where  death  took  its  beginning,  there 
should  life  arise  from  the  grave.'' 

Moreover,  it  was  the  Redeemer's  desire  to  firmly 
convince  us  of  the  greatness  of  His  love,  of  the 
malice  and  destroying  power  of  sin,  of  the  fear- 
fulness  of  hell's  punishment,  of  the  value  of  the 
soul  and  of  the  splendors  of  heaven.  He  teaches 
all  these  truths  in  the  most  intelligible  and  im- 
pressive manner  from  the  wood  of  the  cross.     The 


THE  EXECUTION  273 

cross  has  become  His  pulpit.  Again,  Christ  de- 
mands of  us  that  we  imitate  His  virtues,  His 
humility,  His  patience  and  His  obedience.  We 
must  strive  to  become  like  to  Him.  For  this 
reason  it  is  useful,  necessary  even,  that  our  Di- 
vine Model  hang  high  upon  the  cross  so  that  we 
may  easily  perceive  Him.  We  might  otherwise,  in 
the  turmoil  of  the  world,  completely  lose  sight  of 
the  Saviour.  "Look,"  said  He  once  through 
Moses,  "and  make  it  according  to  the  pattern, 
that  was  shown  thee  in  the  ]\Iount. ' '  ^ 

Finally,  the  Redeemer  would  give  us  the  in- 
strument and  sign  of  redemption  as  a  shield  to 
repel  the  three  sinful  concupiscences.  Now  the 
sign  of  a  pyre,  or  of  a  hungry  lion,  or  of  a  glowing 
rack  would  not  be  easy  to  employ.  On  the  other 
hand,  there  is  nothing  easier  than  to  form  the 
sign  of  the  cross  in  the  hour  of  temptation ;  it  can 
be  done  everywhere  and  at  all  times.  The  image 
of  the  Crucified  One,  the  crucifix,  should  there- 
fore be  our  constant  weapon.  May  every  Chris- 
tian carry  it  on  his  breast  as  a  most  precious  orna- 
ment. 

Such  were  the  reasons  which  actuated  the  Re- 
deemer to  chose  the  crucifixion  from  among  all  other 
modes  of  death.  Let  us  see  how  it  was  accom- 
plished. 

Crucifixion  was  performed  by  the  Romans  in 
two  different  ways.  Usually  the  cross  was  first 
raised,  then  the  criminal  was  bound  to  it,  arms 

1  Exodus,  XXV.,  40. 
18 


274  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

and  feet,  after  which  the  hands  and  feet  were 
pierced  with  nails.  In  some  cases  the  criminal 
was  nailed  fast  to  the  cross  upon  the  ground  and 
then  the  cross  was  raised.  It  is  not  certain  which 
of  the  two  methods  was  followed  as  regards  the 
Saviour;  for  which  reason  we  shall  adapt  our 
meditation  to  that  method  which  is  employed,  ac- 
cording to  ancient  usage,  in  the  representations 
of  our  stations  of  the  cross. 

The  cross,  then,  lay  upon  the  ground,  and, 
first  of  all,  they  had  to  bore  the  holes  wherein  to 
drive  the  nails.  For  this  purpose  they  took  the 
measurements  of  the  Redeemer;  the  length  of  the 
extended  arms  and  the  distance  from  feet  to 
hands.  Thereupon  Christ  laid  Himself  willingly 
upon  the  altar  of  sacrifice.  The  first  nail  was  put 
to  His  right  hand  and  pierced  it  under  heavy  blows 
so  that  the  sacred  Blood  leaped  to  the  face  of  the 
executioners.  There  resulted  a  spasmodic  con- 
traction of  the  muscles  and  the  members  had  to 
be  violently  stretched  to  bring  the  left  hand  to  the 
hole  bored  in  the  cross.  Then  this  left  hand  was 
pierced  with  a  nail.  Whose  mind  does  not  here 
revert  to  all  the  sins  committed  by  the  abuse  of  the 
hands?  Some  extend  them  to  take  the  property 
of  others ;  some  abuse  them  in  assault  and  murder ; 
others — and  there  are  so  many  of  these — in  un- 
chaste works ;  others,  finally,  in  flooding  the  world 
with  impious  and  immoral  books  and  pictures. 

Then  the  sacred  feet  were  nailed  and  for  this 
purpose  two  nails  were  used.  History  tells  us 
that,  when  the  crosses  were  found,  four  holes  and 


THE  EXECUTION  275 

four  nails  were  found  in  each  of  them.  This  is 
also  in  accord  with  what  St.  Bonaventure  tells  us 
of  the  stigmata  of  St.  Francis.  Had  the  right  foot 
of  Christ  been  placed  on  the  left  one  and  both 
pierced  with  one  nail  running  to  a  point,  the 
wounds  of  the  left  foot  would  evidently  have  been 
smaller  than  those  of  the  right  foot.  Now,  on  the 
feet  of  St.  Francis,  the  two  wounds  on  the  upper 
surface  of  both  feet  were  of  equal  size  as  the  two 
wounds  on  the  nether  surface.  Besides,  were  the 
executioners  likely  to  have  used  only  one  nail, 
when  it  would  have  been  more  difficult  and  have 
required  more  time?  Here  we  may  well  think  of 
all  the  sins  which  are  committed  through  the 
abuse  of  the  feet.  What  are  the  paths  trodden 
by  so  many  people,  by  so  many  Christians? 
Whither  do  they  wend  their  way,  by  day  and 
by  night?  One  cannot  even  mention  it.  Neither 
is  it  necessary  to  mention  it,  because  the  broad 
road  leading  to  perdition  is  sufficiently  known  to 
all. 

Our  Divine  Saviour  is  now  nailed,  hands  and 
feet,  to  the  cross  so  tightly  that  He  can  no  longer 
move  a  member.  Thus  the  type,  the  Jewish 
paschal  lamb,  which,  in  the  form  of  a  cross,  was 
roasted  on  a  spit,  found  its  realization.  Now  no 
one  can  wrest  from  the  hands  of  Christ,  the  cross, 
the  instrument  of  His  victory.  Oh!  that  we  also, 
by  love,  might  be  nailed  to  the  cross  so  fast  that 
nothing  could  make  us  leave  it  and  abuse  our 
liberty. 

The  moment  had  now  arrived  when  the  great 


276  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

sign  of  the  covenant  and  of  reconciliation  between 
God  and  man  was  to  appear  upon  earth  and  be 
visible  to  all;  the  moment  had  arrived  when  the 
throne  of  the  King  of  kings  was  to  be  erected. 
But  what  untold  tortures,  what  indescribable 
pains!  Have  you  ever  beheld  what  labor  it  is  to 
erect  on  high  and  wedge  into  the  earth  a  great, 
heavy  beam?  What  swaying!  what  shocks  and 
jolts!  But  a  man  is  nailed  to  the  beam  of  the 
cross.  Rough  soldiers  raised  it  up  with  vehe- 
mence and  let  it  slide  into  the  ground,  where  it 
struck  the  bottom  with  such  force  that  hell  felt  the 
concussion,  and  the  old  serpent  writhed  in  torture. 
Oh,  how  cruelly  the  wounds  of  hands  and  feet  were 
torn !  What  a  torment  for  the  Sacred  Head  when 
the  crown  of  thorns  violently  struck  the  beam! 
What  pains  in  all  parts  of  the  Sacred  Body! 
After  the  cross  had  been  made  fast  in  the  ground, 
a  soldier  attached  the  title  of  guilt  above  the  Head 
of  the  crucified.  This  title  was  to  publish  to  the 
whole  world  why  the  Redeemer  had  been  nailed  to 
the  cross.  More  brilliantly  than  the  sun's  rays 
did  it  illumine  the  majesty  of  Jesus  Christ's  King- 
dom.    Thus  was  the  execution  finished. 

Meanwhile,  the  two  thieves  had  been  nailed  to 
their  crosses  by  other  executioners.  According  to 
our  time,  it  was  exactly  twelve  o'clock.  The  ap- 
palling sight  of  the  Crucified  One  caused  a  mo- 
mentary lull  of  astonishment  and  horror.  Just 
then  the  sound  of  trumpets  from  the  hill  of  the 
temple  announced  the  sixth  hour. 

Christ,  then,  was  exalted  on  the  cross.     His  mdst 


THE  EXECUTION  277 

ardent  desire  was  realized.  For  the  cross  was  the 
object  for  which  He  strove  during  His  whole  life. 
It  was  the  object  of  His  ambition.  He  would  be 
lifted  up  from  the  earth,  exalted  on  the  cross.  We 
should  now  remind  Him  of  the  promise  He  has 
made  us,  that  after  being  lifted  up  He  would 
draw  all  things  unto  Himself.  May  He,  there- 
fore, in  His  bounty  draw  our  hearts  to  Himself 
and  unite  them  to  His  own  Heart  in  the  bonds  of 
the  most  fervent  love.  If  only  we  resist  Him  not, 
the  Redeemer  will  keep  His  word.  For  on  the 
cross  He  not  only  thought  of  us,  but  He  also  looked 
toward  us.  Even  on  the  cross.  He  had  His  face 
turned  away  from  Jerusalem.  His  regard  was 
cast  towards  the  Occident,  towards  holy  Rome,  and 
from  there,  over  the  ocean,  to  the  furthermost 
west,  upon  each  one  of  us.  With  greater  confi- 
dence, therefore,  than  that  of  the  Israelites  look- 
ing up  to  the  brazen  serpent,  let  us  look  up  to  the 
Crucified  One  and  go  with  confidence  to  the  throne 
of  grace,  that  we  may  obtain  mercy,  find  grace  in 
seasonable  aid^  and  die  a  happy  death  on  the 
cross. 

iHebr.,  iv.,  16. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE  FIRST  WORD  OF  CHRIST  ON  THE  CROSS 

"  Father,    forgive    them,    for    they 
know  not  what  they  do." 

(St.  Luke,  xxiii.,  34.) 

Our  Divine  Saviour  had  most  ardently  desired 
to  be  exalted  from  the  earth.  Suspended  on  the 
cross,  He  would  draw  all  things  to  Himself  and, 
as  from  a  sovereign  throne,  subject  all  hearts  to 
the  royal  scepter  of  His  Love.  A  few  hours  later, 
this  cross  would  serve  as  His  altar  of  sacrifice; 
upon  it,  in  a  bloody  death,  the  High-Priest  of  the 
New  Law  would  offer  himself  as  a  victim  to  the 
Heavenly  Father.  Meanwhile,  He  used  it  as  a 
pulpit.  All  external  circumstances,  indeed,  were 
very  conducive  to  preaching.  During  all  His  pub- 
lic life,  Christ  had  never  faced  such  a  numerous 
and  such  a  choice  audience.  There  were  thou- 
sands of  Jews  from  the  whole  of  Palestine,  among 
them  the  most  distinguished  of  the  people;  there 
were,  besides,  Greeks  and  Romans,  who  repre- 
sented the  civilized  world  of  that  time.  The  place, 
also,  was  very  well  situated  for  an  address;  it  was 
a  hill  with  a  gradual  decline.  The  pulpit  or  the 
cross  stood  on  the  summit  or,  very  probably,  a 
little  lower  so  that  the  hilltop  formed  a  rear  wall. 
278 


THE  FIRST  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  279 

It  was  the  proper  height  and  location  from  which 
to  be  understood  at  great  distance.  From  this 
pulpit,  therefore,  Christ  wished  not  only  to  preach 
by  His  example  but  also  to  give  expression  by 
words  to  His  sentiments,  feelings  and  desires. 
However,  His  sermon  was  very  short;  it  consisted 
of  only  seven  words  or  sentences.  To  be  sure. 
His  sufferings  did  not  permit  Him  to  say  more; 
and  moreover,  their  brevity  caused  them  to  be 
more  readily  impressed  on  the  memory  of  His 
hearers  and,  like  darts  of  love,  to  penetrate  into 
their  hearts.  Christ  pronounced  the  first  three 
words  just  after  the  cross  was  raised.  Then  there 
was  an  eclipse  of  the  sun  and  an  awful  silence 
during  three  hours.  Immediately  before  His 
death.  He  spoke  the  four  other  words. 

Every  child  is  intent  upon  the  last  words  of  its 
dying  father.  Even  the  pagan  considers  them 
sacred  and  revers  them  as  being  oracular.  With 
how  much  greater  attention  and  reverence  should 
we  not  then  hear  and  take  to  heart  the  last  words 
of  Our  dying  Redeemer. 

Let  us  now  meditate  on  the  first  of  the  seven 
words,  *' Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not 
what  they  do.''  This  word  contains  a  petition. 
Let  us  consider 

I.     The  object  of  this  petition  and 

II.     The    reasons    adduced    by    Christ    why    it 
should  be  granted. 


280  HISTOKY  OF  THE  PASSION 

I. 

The  object  of  the  petition  contained  in  the  first 
word  was  forgiveness,  grace  and  mercy. 

In  the  Old  Law,  the  Lord  God  manifested  par- 
ticularly His  justice,  wherefore  the  Psalmist  even 
calls  Him  the  '*God  of  Vengeance."  As  soon  as 
our  first  parents  had  committed  their  sin,  they 
were  driven  out  of  paradise  into  a  valley  of  tears. 
Cain,  the  fratricide,  roamed  about  the  earth  with- 
out rest  or  peace,  in  fear  and  trembling  and  in 
constant  dread  of  the  avenging  arm  of  God.  The 
indignant  Judge  submerged  an  impure  world  in 
immense  floods  of  water.  He  destroyed  Sodom  and 
Gomorrha  with  fire  and  brimstone,  and  He 
drowned  Pharaoh  and  his  armies  in  the  sea.  And, 
as  if  divine  judgments  were  not  frequent  enough, 
king  David  calls  upon  the  Almighty  to  enter  into 
judgment  with  His  enemies:  ''Lift  up  thyself, 
thou  that  judgest  the  earth :  render  a  reward  to  the 
proud.  How  long  shall  sinners,  O  Lord :  how  long 
shall  sinners  glory?  Shall  they  utter  and  speak 
iniquity:  shall  all  speak  who  work  injustice?"^ 

But  as  soon  as  the  Son  of  God  was  extended  on 
the  cross,  there  resounded  from  its  summit  the 
words,  ''forgiveness,  grace,  mercy."  This  mes- 
sage flew  over  the  hills,  it  flew  over  the  seas,  it 
found  its  echo  at  the  extreme  ends  of  the  earth, 
it  continued  to  resound  throughout  all  Christian 
centuries  and  shall  continue  to  resound  to  the  last 
of  days.    Forgiveness,   grace,  mercy;   behold  the 

1  Psalms,  xciii.,  2-4. 


THE  FIRST  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  281 

watchword  of  the  New  Law.  Heaven  was  as- 
tounded, hell  trembled  and  gnashed  its  teeth,  the 
Pharisees  and  scribes  scoffed,  ''Behold  the  hard- 
ened criminal!  How  he  feigns  innocence  and  de- 
nounces us  as  sinners.  Miserable  man,  pray  for 
thyself."  But  at  this  very  moment,  the  first  ray 
of  hope  beams  on  the  thief  to  the  right.  This  in- 
cident appeared  so  remarkable  to  the  prophet  Isaias 
that  he  foretold  it  centuries  before:  "He  hath 
borne  the  sins  of  many  and  hath  prayed  for  the 
transgressors. ' '  ^ 

Occasionally,  the  crucified  were  driven  by  their 
cruel  and  constantly  increasing  pains  to  a  despair 
which  brought  on  outbursts  of  frenzy  of  one  sort 
or  another.  They  blasphemed  the  gods,  they 
cursed  heaven  and  earth,  they  cursed  themselves 
and  the  hour  of  their  birth,  they  spat  upon  the 
lookers-on,  they  avenged  themselves  on  their  ene- 
mies by  revealing  their  misdeeds  or  by  falsely  im- 
puting crimes  to  them.  Opposed  to  this,  what 
a  touching  scene  on  Golgotha!  Christ  is  sus- 
pended between  heaven  and  earth  in  the  most  fear- 
ful torments;  round  about  the  cross  are  His  mur- 
derers, resembling  serpents  with  pointed  tongues, 
roaring  lions  with  open  jaws,  wolves  thirsting  for 
blood.  His  suffering  has  reached  its  extreme  point 
and  commands  Him  to  be  silent;  His  tongue 
cleaves  to  His  palate,  and  still  the  Divine  lips  open 
to  utter  words  of  forgiveness. 

Let  no  one  say  henceforth  that  he  cannot  for- 

ils.,  liii.,  12. 


282  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

give  his  enemies;  that  it  is  too  difficult.  Thou 
hast  not  fared  as  did  the  crucified  Saviour.  Thou 
wert  perhaps  offended  by  spoken  words,  but  not 
beaten  with  scourges.  Thou  wert  perhaps  hurt 
in  thy  sense  of  honor,  but  thou  wert  not  crowned 
with  thorns.  Thou  wert  perhaps  despoiled  of  thy 
property,  but  they  left  thee  thy  blood.  I  see  not 
on  thy  face  the  defilement  of  thine  enemies.  I 
see  thy  hands,  but  I  find  thereon  no  wounds.  Thy 
head  is  uninjured,  thy  hair  is  not  torn  from  it, 
nor  is  thy  brow  bleeding.  And  even  hadst  thou 
been  scourged  and  had  thy  flesh  been  torn,  thy 
sins  have  merited  it  all  a  thousand  times.  But 
Christ  is  innocent,  He  is  the  Holy  of  Holies.  How 
then,  I  repeat,  how  canst  thou  say:  I  cannot  for- 
give, it  is  impossible? 

However,  we  have  not  yet  considered  the  object 
of  the  petition  of  Our  Divine  Saviour  in  all  its 
bearings.  Christ  on  the  cross  was  not  only  ready 
Himself  to  forgive,  but  He  did  more;  He  asked 
God  to  forgive  His  offenders.  There  are  Chris- 
tians who  have  words  of  forgiveness  on  their 
tongues  and  who  even  in  their  outward  demeanor 
show  no  aversion  to  their  enemies,  but  in  their 
hearts  they  desire  that  God  be  their  avenger  and 
that  He  withhold  not  from  their  enemies  the  pun- 
ishment which  they  deserve.  How  differently  did 
the  Divine  Redeemer  act !  He  desires  not  that  His 
torturers  be  punished.  He  wills  that  both  guilt  and 
penalty  be  condoned,  and  this  at  a  time  when  they 
have  not  even,  as  yet,  repented  of  their 
crime.     He  ardently  desires  their  repentance,  He 


THE  FIRST  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  283 

wishes  for  them  the  joys  of  heaven,  and  He  longs 
for  it  definitely  and  unconditionally,  not,  as  He 
prayed  for  Himself  in  the  Garden  of  Olives,  *'if 
it  be  possible."  He  therefore  places  Himself  be- 
tween Divine  Justice  and  His  enemies  as  an  im- 
penetrable wall,  He  protects  them  with  His  prayer 
as  with  a  shield  from  which  the  darts  of  an  irate 
heaven  are  dashed  back. 

It  is  indeed  true  that  the  commandment  to  love 
our  enemies  does  not  demand  of  us  the  greatest 
heroism  or  super-human  virtue,  that  is,  it  does  not 
oblige  us  under  sin  to  suffer  in  silence  all  injuries 
and  injustices.  There  are  even  cases  in  which  one 
has  not  only  the  right  but  even  the  duty  to  de- 
fend himself  by  using  all  legitimate  means  at  his 
command.  But  while  doing  this,  we  must  love  the 
person  of  our  enemy  and,  according  to  the  ex- 
ample of  Our  Lord,  wish  him  from  our  heart  all 
temporal  and  eternal  happiness. 

The  object,  then,  of  the  Redeemer's  petition  was 
forgiveness,  grace  and  mercy.  Let  us  now  con- 
sider the  motives  adduced  by  Christ  why  His 
prayer  should  be  granted. 

II. 

There  were  two  reasons  which  Christ  brought 
to  bear  on  Almighty  God  in  order  to  have  His  pe- 
tition granted.  He  represented  to  God  that  He 
was  the  Father,  and  that,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
torturers  knew  not  what  they  were  doing. 

Christ  did  not  say,  ^'Lord,  forgive  them,"  but, 
*' Father,    forgive    them."     Thereby    He    placed 


284  HISTOKY  OF  THE  PASSION 

Himself  before  the  irate  God  as  His  Son.  Now 
when  a  son  asks  his  father  for  anything,  the 
prayer  has  naturally  an  entirely  different  power 
and  efficacy  from  that  of  a  servant  to  his  master. 
This  Son,  moreover,  strengthened  His  petition  by 
proffering  at  the  same  time  a  most  valuable  gift. 
At  the  moment  in  which  Christ  appealed  to  the 
Love  of  His  Father,  the  latter  beheld  in  the  hands 
of  His  Son  a  gift,  a  sacrifice  of  infinite  value. 
And  this  Son  was  suffering  in  the  throes  of  death. 
Now,  if  at  other  times  a  father  may  not  feel  dis- 
posed to  grant  the  petition  of  his  son,  he  will 
surely  attempt  the  impossible  to  fulfil  the  wishes 
of  a  child  on  his  death-bed.  Finally,  the  gener- 
osity of  the  Son  Who,  forgetting  Himself  and 
His  sufferings,  was  anxious  only  for  the  welfare 
of  His  tormentors,  must  have  touched  the  pa- 
ternal heart  of  God  and  inclined  it  to  reconcilia- 
tion. 

Nor  did  Christ  pray,  ''My  Father,  forgive 
them,"  but  ''Father,  forgive  them."  Thereby  He 
represented  to  God  that  He  was  not  only  His 
Father,  but  that  He  desired  to  be  the  Father  of 
all  men.  He  pointed  out  to  Him  how  He,  the 
Father,  desired  to  have  many  sons  and  to  recog- 
nize Him,  the  Son,  as  the  First-Born  among  many 
brethren,  and  how  that  would  be  impossible  were 
He,  the  Father,  to  punish  with  severe  justice  these 
enemies  and  all  others  who  offend  the  Son,  were 
He  to  refuse  them  the  grace  of  repentance  and  of 
the  adoption  of  sonship. 


THE  FIRST  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  285 

Christ     therefore     prayed,     *' Father,     forgive 
them,"  which  means:   Thou  art  My  Father  and 
their  Father,  and  they  are  My  brethren.     Thou 
wouldst,   once  upon  a  time,  have  spared   Sodom 
for  the  sake  of  a  few.     Have  mercy,  then,  for  the 
sake   of   Thy  First-Born,   on  these   My  brethren. 
Whatever  wrong  they  do,  Father,  is  amply  out- 
weighed by  My  death.     In  fact,  it  is  they  who 
make  it  possible  for  me  to  give  Thee  such  infinite 
honor.     Certainly,  their  acts  are  not  to  be  justi- 
fied.    But   the    greater   their    guilt   is,    the    more 
glorious  will  be  the  splendor  of  Thy  paternal  Love. 
The  more  unworthy  they  now  are  of  Thy  favor 
and  of  Thy  adoption,  the  more  grateful  will  they 
be  as  Thy  children  later  on.     Hearken,  therefore, 
to  the  voice  of  My  Blood,  crying  for  reconcilia- 
tion and  not  to  their  voice,  demanding  that  My 
Blood  be   upon  them.     Kather  grant,   0   Father! 
that  this  Blood  of  Mine  be  shed  for  their  salvation, 
especially  as  they  know  not  what  they  do. 

That  these  last  words  of  the  Redeemer  applied 
in  a  strict  sense  to  many  of  those  present,  goes 
without  saying.  The  heathen  soldiers,  in  partic- 
ular, and,  it  may  be,  many  others  considered 
Christ  a  very  culpable  criminal,  deserving  of  no 
mercy.  But  how  could  Christ  invoke  ignorance 
as  an  excuse  for  the  chief -priests,  scribes  and  phar- 
isees,  who  had  knowledge  of  the  innumerable 
miracles  which  He  had  wrought  to  prove  His  Di- 
vinity? It  is  certain,  however,  that  they  were 
included  in  His  prayer.     For  the  words  of   St. 


286  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

Paul,  **If  they  had  known  it,  they  would  never 
have  crucified  the  Lord  of  glory, ' '  ^  refer  undoubt- 
edly also  to  the  chief-priests  and  pharisees. 

In  the  first  place,  the  enemies  of  Christ  were 
in  ignorance,  inasmuch  as  they  knew  not  how  to 
appreciate  the  value  of  the  sacrifice  of  the  cross, 
in  the  offering  of  which  they  were  instrumental. 
Furthermore,  it  is  peculiar  to  the  sinner  that  he 
generally  does  not  do  evil  because  it  is  evil,  but 
because  it  presents  to  him  some  desirable  feature 
or  other,  that  is,  it  appears  to  him  as  something 
pleasing  or  profitable.  The  ignorance,  however, 
which  Christ  pleaded  to  excuse  His  enemies,  is 
rather  to  be  considered  in  a  different  sense.  To 
understand  this  well,  we  must  remember  that  the 
proofs  of  Christ's  Divinity,  no  matter  how  cogent 
or  how  exclusive  of  any  reasonable  doubt,  do  not, 
nevertheless,  command  the  assent  of  reason  with 
such  intrinsic  necessity  as,  for  instance,  the  truth 
that  two  and  two  are  four,  that  there  is  a  sun,  a 
moon  or  a  visible  world.  The  possibility  of  a 
doubt,  unreasonable,  of  course,  still  remains.  It 
is  now  the  duty  of  the  free  will — and  this  explains 
exactly  the  merit  of  an  act  of  faith — to  command 
reason  to  despise  all  unreasonable  doubts,  reso- 
lutely to  accept  the  truth,  more  than  sufficiently 
substantiated,  and  to  submit  itself  to  it.  If  this 
is  not  done  and  if  the  will  permits  the  reason  to 
dally  with  such  unreasonable  doubts,  then  the  rea- 
son embraces  what  is  false  and  is,  in  fact,  im- 
mersed in  ignorance. 

1 1.  Cor.,  ii.,  8. 


THE  FIRST  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  287 

Moreover,  the  words  of  Christ  contain  a  truth 
which  concerns  us  also,  who  are  children  of  the 
Catholic  Church.     It  is  in  truth  an  awful  truth 
that  the  sinner  can  bring  himself  into  a  condition 
in  which  he  boldly  commits  the  gravest  sins  with- 
out knowing   what   he   is   doing.     For,   after  the 
will  has  become  accustomed  to  sin  and  has  learned 
to  love  it,  it  brings  such  a  pressure  to  bear  on  rea- 
son that  the  latter  looks  upon  as  allowable  or,  at 
least,  as  less  evil  what,  in  itself,  is  sinful  in  the 
highest  degree.     This  ignorance,  freely  willed  and 
freely  produced,   either  in  regard  to  faith  or  to 
the  works  of  faith,  does,  of  course,  not  absolve  man 
from  mortal  guilt,  for  it  had  its  origin  and  its  rise 
in  mortal  sins.     However,  it  is  true  that  this  ig- 
norance, when  once  in  fact  existing,  does,  to  some 
extent,  diminish  the  deliberateness  and,  in  conse- 
quence, the  sinfulness  of  a  particular  act.     Now, 
as  the  Divine  Redeemer  could  not  deny  the  facts 
themselves,  viz.,  the  hatred  and  envy  of  the  chief - 
priests,   the   perjury   of   the   false   witnesses,    the 
cowardice  of  Pilate  and  the  cruelty  of  the  soldiers, 
He  did  what,  in  a  similar  case,   a  prudent  and 
careful   attorney  would  do.     He  anxiously  clung 
to  even  the  most  insignificant  grounds  of  excuse 
to   recommend   His   clients  to   the  mercy   of  the 
Court. 

Naturally  the  heavenly  Father  could  not  with- 
stand the  ingenious  love  of  His  Son.  The  earth 
did  not  open  her  yawning  abysses,  fire  fell  not 
from  heaven  neither  did  hell  devour  the  culprits, 
but,  owing  to  the  prayer  of  Christ,  Almighty  God 


288  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

gave  the  sinful  people  a  respite  of  forty  years  in 
which  to  do  penance.  Even  more:  the  thief,  who 
was  converted ;  the  heathen  captain  who  professed 
belief  in  the  Divinity  of  Christ;  the  people  who 
struck  their  breasts  in  contrition;  the  thousands 
who  on  Whitsunday  and  thereafter  embraced 
Christianity,  all  these  show  the  effects  of  Christ's 
prayer  on  the  cross.  Ay,  and  as  for  us  who  per- 
haps have  sinned  mortally,  that  we  still  live  and 
are  not  burning  in  hell,  that  time  has  been  given 
us  for  repentance  and  penance,  is  owing  to  Our 
Divine  High-Priest,  Who,  before  offering  the  Most 
Holy  Sacrifice  on  the  cross,  included  us  in  His 
memento. 

We  should,  then,  no  longer  be  astonished  that, 
in  view  of  such  great  love  on  the  part  of  the 
Redeemer,  St.  Stephen  cried  out,  *'Lord,  lay  not 
this  sin  to  their  charge, ' '  ^  nor  that  St.  Paul  said, 
''We  are  reviled,  and  we  bless:  we  are  persecuted, 
and  we  suffer  it.  We  are  blasphemed,  and  we 
entreat ; "  ^  nor  that,  afterwards,  so  many  martyrs 
and  confessors  prayed  for  their  enemies,  as  Christ 
prayed,  ''Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not 
what  they  do."  We  should  rather  be  astonished 
at  the  perversity  of  our  own  hearts,  we  who  are  so 
much  inclined  not  only  not  to  excuse  our  enemies 
but  to  magnify  the  evil  they  do  us,  to  minimize 
their  good  deeds  and  to  impute  to  them  bad  or  igno- 
ble motives.  If  we  have  ever  acted  thus,  we  should 
now   repent   of   it;   according   to   Our   Saviour's 

1  Acts.,  vii.,  59. 

2  1.  Cor.,  iv.,  12. 


THE  FIRST  WOPvD  ON  THE  CROSS  289 

example,  we  should  not  only  be  always  ready  to 
excuse  our  enemies  and  offenders,  but  also  look 
upon  them  as  what  they  really  are,  as  our  brethren 
in  Christ  and  children  of  the  heavenly  Father. 
Then  the  duty  of  forgiving  will  no  longer  be  dif- 
ficult to  us. 

We  ought,  however,  not  to  close  this  medita- 
tion without  again  praising  the  love  and  mercy 
of  Our  Saviour  and  assuring  Him  of  our  unwav- 
ering confidence  in  His  bounty.  And,  indeed,  if 
Christ  asks  pardon  for  people  who  in  satanic  mal- 
ice have  brought  upon  Him  the  most  dreadful  tor- 
tures, if  He  craves  grace  for  them  even  at  a  mo- 
ment when  they  do  not  show  the  least  sign  of  re- 
pentance; what  sinner  ought  to  despair,  were  his 
sins  as  red  as  blood  and  as  innumerable  as  the 
grains  of  sand  upon  the  seashore  ?  How  much  less 
reason  shall  the  Saviour  then  have  to  reject  a  con- 
trite and  humble  heart?  It  would  certainly  be 
entirely  without  warrant  for  the  just  man  to  give 
way  to  pusillanimity  or  discouragement  on  account 
of  the  assaults  of  hell  or  of  the  world  or  of  the 
flesh.  No,  whoever  we  may  be,  sinners  or  just, 
everj^where  and  in  all  circumstances,  in  sufferings 
and  temptations,  in  life  and  in  death,  we  shall  pray 
with  the  Psalmist,  * '  In  thee,  0  Lord,  have  I  hoped, 
let  me  never  be  confounded. ' '  ^ 

1  Psalms,  XXX.,  2. 


19 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE  SECOND   WORD   OP   CHRIST  ON   THE  CROSS 

"Amen    I    say    to    thee,    this    day 

thou  shalt  be  with  me  in  paradise." 

(St.  Luke,  xxiii.,  43). 

Two  great  criminals  were  crucified  along  with 
Our  Saviour.  We  are  told  that  they  were  robbers 
and  murderers.  Tradition  is  not  unanimous  as  to 
their  names.  The  penitent  one  to  the  right  of  the 
Lord  is  usually  called  Dismas,  and  the  impenitent 
one  to  the  Lord's  left,  Gesmas.  They  were 
nailed  to  their  crosses  as  was  the  Lord;  they  were 
not  fastened  to  them  with  ropes  as  is  often  repre- 
sented in  pictures.  Holy  Writ  contains  nothing 
which  would  favor  a  contrary  opinion.  When 
the  Gospel  speaks  of  the  crucifixion  of  the  thieves, 
it  uses  the  terms  in  which  it  speaks  of  the  Lord's 
crucifixion.  The  circumstance,  furthermore,  that 
Pilate's  permission  was  asked  to  break  the  bones 
of  all  three  crucified,  suggests  the  thought  that  all 
three  had  also  been  crucified  in  like  manner. 
Then,  Saints  Augustine,  Gregory  and  Ambrose 
expressly  state  that  the  nailing  to  the  cross  of  the 
thieves  was  a  matter  of  old  tradition.  Decisive, 
finally,  on  this  question  is  what  history  tells  us 
of  the  condition  of  the  three  crosses  as  found  by 
290 


THE  SECOND  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  291 

St.  Helena  in  the  reign  of  Constantine  the  Great. 
All  three  showed  similar  traces  of  blood,  all  three 
were  similarly  pierced  with  nails.  Had  the  thieves 
not  been  nailed  to  the  crosses  and,  for  that  reason, 
had  there  been  found  only  one  cross  pierced  with 
nails,  it  would  not  have  required  a  miracle  to  iden- 
tify the  cross  of  Christ  and  to  distinguish  it  from 
the  others. 

To  prevent  the  crucified  from  insulting  their 
executioners,  the  authorities  and  the  emperor, 
their  mouths  were  often  closed  by  means  of  hooks. 
Cicero  tells  us  ^  that  a  slave  called  Strato  had  his 
tongue  torn  out  before  his  crucifixion,  because 
Sassia,  a  notorious  woman  who  had  assassinated 
her  husband,  feared  to  be  betrayed  by  the  last 
words  of  the  dying  slave.  It  was  surely  the  spe- 
cial Providence  of  God  which  prevented  the  ap- 
plication of  such  inhuman  treatment  to  the  Re- 
deemer and  to  the  two  thieves. 

The   second  word   of   Christ  on  the   cross  was 
addressed  to  the  thief  on   the  right:   ''Amen,   I 
say  to  thee,  this  day  thou  shalt  be  with  me  in 
paradise. ' '    Let  us  consider :  ^ 
I.     The  occasion,  and 

II.     The  contents  of  this  word. 

I. 

The  second  word  was  occasioned  by  Dismas,  the 
thief  on  the  right  side,  who  reprimanded  the  thief 

iCic,  pro  Cluent.  66,  Sepp.,  vi.,  358. 
2  St.  Luke,  xxiii.,   39-43;    St.  Matthew,  xxvii.,  44;    St. 
Mark,  xv.,  32. 


292  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

on  the  left  for  his  blasphemies,  and  who  confessed 
himself  a  sinner,  defended  Christ  the  Lord  and, 
finally,  begged  for  His  mercy  after  He  would  ar- 
rive in  His  Kingdom. 

It  was  only  the  thief  on  the  left  who  blas- 
phemed the  Redeemer.  The  words  of  the  evan- 
gelists St.  Matthew  and  St.  Mark  that  they  who 
were  crucified  with  Christ  reproached  Him,  do  not 
justify  the  conclusion  that  both  blasphemed  Him. 
For  the  evangelists,  in  their  report,  cite  the  dif- 
ferent classes  of  people  who  ridiculed  Christ,  such 
as  the  passers-by,  the  scribes,  the  pharisees,  the 
executioners  and  the  thieves.  However,  it  is  cer- 
tain that  not  all  the  passers-by  without  exception 
ridiculed  Him  and,  for  the  same  reason,  we  can- 
not conclude  that  both  thieves  did  the  same.  Fur- 
thermore, as  St.  Augustine  remarks,  the  Scrip- 
tures often  use  the  plural  number  for  the  singular. 
Thus,  for  instance,  St.  Paul  says  of  the  Prophets, 
**They  stopped  the  mouths  of  lions,  they  were 
stoned,  they  were  cut  asunder. ' '  ^  And  still  David 
alone  stopped  the  mouth  of  the  lion,  Jeremias  alone 
was  stoned  and  Isaias  alone  was  cut  asunder.  Be- 
sides, it  is  not  likely  that  the  thief  on  the  right 
would  have  chidden  his  suffering  companion  with 
such  freedom,  had  he,  immediately  before,  com- 
mitted the  same  sin  himself,  or  else  he  certainly 
would  have  mentioned  this  sin  in  express  terms 
in  his  self-accusation.  Then,  finally,  the  thief  on 
the  left  would  have  thrown  back  at  his  monitor 

iHebr.,  xi.,  33,  37. 


THE  SECOND  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  293 

in  bitter  irony  his  own  blasphemies,  which,  how- 
ever, did  not  happen.  Now,  as  St.  Luke  expressly 
states  that  ' '  one  of  these  robbers  who  were  hanged, 
blasphemed  him,"  we  must  declare  the  thief  on 
the  right  innocent  in  this  regard. 

The  words  of  the  bad  thief,  ''If  thou  be  Christ, 
save  thyself,  and  us,"  denote  a  fearful  hardheart- 
edness  and  a  meanness  beyond  description.  For 
what  is  more  unnatural,  what  is  more  repulsive 
to  human  feeling  than  that  an  unfortunate  man 
should  cast  slurs  at  a  companion  in  misfortune? 
Such  a  thing,  usually,  happens  only  in  hell.  The 
suffering,  as  a  rule,  rather  console  one  another. 
These  words,  furthermore,  contain  an  impudent 
blasphemy,  inasmuch  as  Gesmas  not  only  com- 
manded the  Saviour  what  He  should  do  if  He 
were  the  Christ,  but  also  demanded  that  Christ 
enable  him  by  a  miracle  to  continue  his  sinful  life. 
But  if,  as  some  commentators  opine,  Gesmas  really 
recognized  Christ  as  the  God-Man,  then,  of  course, 
his  blasphemy  was  made  worse  by  his  doubting  the 
divinity  and  power  of  Christ.  This  infamous 
wretch  could  no  longer  use  hands  and  feet  in  the 
service  of  sin,  for  they  were  nailed  fast.  To  fill 
the  measure  of  his  iniquities,  he  used  his  tongue. 
He  died  as  he  had  lived,  and  his  soul  was  buried 
in  hell.  This  is  usually  the  case  when  a  man, 
from  his  youth  up,  heeds  not  the  voice  of  con- 
science and  adds  crime  to  crime;  he  will  finally 
grow  attached  to  sin,  which  will  become  a  strong 
habit;  he  will  grow  blind  and  obstinate  and  die  a 
horrible  death. 


294  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

Impelled,  partly  by  righteous  indignation  and 
partly  by  love  for  his  obstinate  companion  in  vice, 
whom  he  wished  to  bring  to  repentance,  Dismas 
said,  "Neither  dost  thou  fear  God,  seeing  thou 
art  under  the  same  condemnation  ? ' '  which  may 
be  amplified  as  follows :  that  the  Jews  below  us  do 
not  fear  God,  I  can  understand.  They  see  Christ 
on  the  cross,  and  no  punishment  has  yet  reached 
them;  wherefore  they  think  themselves  in  control. 
But  that  thou  shouldst  not  yet  begin  to  fear  God 
who,  like  Christ,  art  hanging  on  a  cross  and  huriy- 
ing  to  eternity,  is  beyond  comprehension.  But  as 
if  this  comparison  had  somewhat  hurt  the  honor 
of  the  Redeemer,  Dismas  adds,  ''And  we  indeed 
justly,  for  we  receive  the  due  reward  of  our 
deeds:  but  this  man  hath  done  no  evil." 

Finally,  then,  at  least  one  voice  is  heard  in  favor 
of  the  Saviour.  The  apostles  are  silent;  the  Jews 
are  shouting,  "He  is  deserving  of  death";  the 
Romans  are  executing  the  unjust  sentence ;  but  an 
old  robber  proclaims  Christ  to  be  innocent  and 
declares  Him  free  of  guilt.  Hear  it  then,  0  Pilate ! 
Hear  it,  ye  executioners!  Hear  it,  ye  pharisees, 
ye  scribes,  ye  chief-priests!  Learn  of  this  robber, 
"this  man  hath  done  no  evil."  Recognize  at  least 
now  your  awful  error,  acknowledge,  at  least  now, 
the  mistake  you  have  made,  contritely  ask  Christ's 
pardon,  embrace  the  cross  as  Magdalene  does,  and 
ye  shall  be  saved  through  the  power  of  the  inno- 
cent blood  shed  by  you.  But  they  raved  in  anger 
and  they  fain  would  crush  the  head  of  the  robber 
who  was  publicly  branding  them. 


THE  SECOND  WORD  OX  THE  CROSS  295 

The  thief  on  the  right,  however,  acknowledges 
himself  to  be  a  sinner.  He  does  not,  like  Adam 
and  Eve,  excuse  himself,  he  acknowledges  his  er- 
rors, he  makes  his  confession.  Besides,  he  recog- 
nizes that  his  death  on  the  cross  is  a  just  punish- 
ment of  heaven.  It  is,  indeed,  a  sign  of  true 
conversion  when  the  sinner  praises  and  blesses  the 
chastising  hand  of  God;  it  is  a  sign  of  predes- 
tination when  the  sinner,  in  a  spirit  of  penance, 
supports  all  sufferings  imposed  on  him,  patiently 
and  joyfully,  without  complaint  or  murmur. 
Judas  had  also  confessed  a  few  hours  before,  but 
not,  as  the  thief,  to  Christ  but  to  Christ's  enemies. 
For  which  reason  he  despaired.  But  this  thief 
was  not  driven  to  despair  by  the  thought  of  his 
sins.  No,  it  was  consoling  to  him  that  "this  man 
hath  done  no  evil."  The  innocent  Jesus  was  his 
solace,  Who,  as  he  confidently  hoped,  would  give 
satisfaction  also  for  him.  Therefore,  without  any 
preliminary,  and  without  even  considering  that 
Christ  in  His  sufferings  was  hardly  able  to  pay 
attention  to  others,  he  in  child-like  confidence 
added  the  request,  *'Lord,  remember  me  when  thou 
shalt  come  into  thy  kingdom. ' '  He  does  not,  then, 
wish  as  did  the  other  thief,  to  be  freed  from  the 
cross;  he  requests  something  better.  But  how 
modestly  he  requests  it.  Unlike  the  sons  of  Zebe- 
dee,  he  does  not  wish  to  sit  at  the  side  of  the 
Redeemer  and  to  rule  with  Him.  No,  like  the 
prodigal,  he  deems  himself  unworthy  of  God's  son- 
ship.     He  merely  asks  that  the  Redeemer,  when 


296  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

upon  the  throne  of  His  glory,  should  remember 
him. 

Here  the  question  presents  itself  how  this  thief 
could  arrive,  not  only  at  the  knowledge  of  the 
Saviour's  innocence,  but  at  the  knowledge  of  the 
divinity  of  Jesus  Christ  and  of  His  kingdom.  He 
had  not  been  a  witness  of  the  Redeemer's  miracles. 
He  had  not  beheld  Him  in  His  glory  on  Mount 
Tabor.  He  had  not  seen  His  transfigured  counte- 
nance, nor  His  snow-white  garments,  nor  the 
splendor  that  surrounded  Him.  He  saw  only  His 
disgrace,  His  humiliation,  nothing  but  a  body  cov- 
ered with  wounds,  the  eyes  already  glassy  from 
approaching  death.  Can  He  then  be  a  king  Whose 
throne  is  a  cross.  Whose  diadem  is  a  crown  of 
thorns.  Whose  court  following  are  two  murderers? 
Usually  kings  rule  only  as  long  as  they  live ;  when 
they  cease  to  live,  they  cease  to  rule.  How  then, 
I  ask  again,  could  the  thief  recognize  a  king,  the 
Son  of  God  even,  in  such  a  Christ  Who  bore  no  re- 
semblance whatever  to  a  ruler?  It  was  the  result 
of  a  short  but  good  meditation  on  the  sufferings 
of  the  Saviour,  united  with  an  inward  grace  which 
the  Redeemer  grants  fully  and  abundantly  to  all 
those  who  devoutly  take  to  heart  His  bitter 
passion.  *'The  thief,''  writes  St.  Ambrose,  ''came 
to  the  knowledge  that  Christ  bled  for  him  and  not 
for  Himself,  and  this  knowledge  enkindled  in  him 
the  fire  of  Divine  Love."  ''0  eternal  light,"  ex- 
claims St.  Cyril  of  'Jerusalem,^  ''which  enlight- 
eneth  those  who  are  in  darkness." 

1  Cath.  13.  C.  31. 


THE  SECOND  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  297 

The  thief  on  the  right  had,  then,  presented  his 
petition  to  the  Saviour.  Christ  thereupon  spoke 
the  second  word,  "Amen  I  .say  to  thee,  this  day 
thou  shalt  be  with  me  in  paradise."  After  hav- 
ing considered  what  prompted  this  word,  let  us 
now  examine  its  import. 

II. 

The  second  word  of  Christ  contains  the  fairest 
promise  ever  made  to  a  sinner.  Christ  promised 
the  thief  an  entrance  into  paradise,  on  that  same 
day,  as  an  associate  and  in  the  company  of  the 
Redeemer  Himself. 

The  paradise,  which  Christ  promised  the  thief 
for  that  day,  must  not  be  understood  as  the  place 
called  heaven.  It  means  the  direct  vision  of  God 
and  the  felicity  resulting  therefrom.  It  should 
not  seem  strange  to  us  that  one  may  see  God  with- 
out being  in  heaven,  in  the  dwelling  of  the  blessed 
spirits.  No  created  spirit,  not  even  the  soul  of 
Christ,  is  present  everywhere.  It  is,  then,  possible 
that  souls  and  spirits  behold  the  omnipresent  God 
face  to  face,  without,  therefore,  being  themselves 
united  in  the  same  place.  The  soul  of  Christ,  in- 
deed, enjoyed  this  beatific  vision  from  the  first 
moment  of  its  existence.  But,  as  we  have  men- 
tioned before,  it  was  subject  to  suffering,  for  other 
causes,  as  long  as  Christ  lived  on  earth.  But  as 
soon  as  by  death  His  soul  separated  itself  from 
His  Sacred  Body,  it  became  unspeakably  happy. 
Then  it  descended  into  Limbo  to  communicate  a 
similar  happiness  to  the  souls  of  the  just  of  the 


298  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

Old  Testament.  In  their  presence  and  amidst 
their  rejoicings  and  jubilations,  Christ  arose  glori- 
ously from  the  dead  on  Easter  morning.  During 
the  forty  days  of  the  Redeemer's  sojourn  on  earth 
after  His  resurrection,  they  were  His  constant, 
invisible  companions,  until,  on  the  day  of  His 
ascension,  He  finally  led  them  into  the  heavenly 
Jerusalem,  to  the  home  of  the  holy  angels.  When, 
therefore,  Christ  promised  paradise  to  the  thief 
for  that  same  day.  He  promised  him  that  on  this 
day  he  would  be  associated  with  the  happy  num- 
ber of  the  souls  in  Limbo.  And  Christ  could  in 
truth  call  Limbo  a  paradise.  For  when  His  Soul 
arrived  there,  it  was  changed  into  a  paradise,  as 
the  essential  happiness  of  paradise  or  heaven  con- 
sists precisely  in  the  immediate  vision  of  God. 

To  his  petition,  the  thief  did  not  expect  the 
answer  he  received,  *' To-day  thou  shalt  be  with 
me  in  paradise."  It  went  far  beyond  his  most 
sanguine  hopes.  Until  now  this  man  had  been  a 
man  of  blood.  He  had  lived  on  murder  and  ra- 
pine, he  had  grown  old  in  malice.  He  still  is 
clad  in  the  robber's  garments  and,  lo !  he  is  to 
enter  paradise.  Where,  then,  is  his  nuptial  gar- 
ment? To  achieve  paradise,  the  saints  distributed 
all  they  had  among  the  poor,  princes  and  kings 
resigned  their  crowns,  went  into  solitude  and  re- 
tired into  quiet  cloisters.  To  gain  paradise,  young 
men  and  maidens  battled  strenuously  for  years 
against  the  world  and  the  flesh.  To  render  them- 
selves worthy  of  paradise,  confessors  deplored 
their  smallest  faults  with  most  bitter  tears  and 


THE  SECOND  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  299 

performed  the  most  painful  works  of  penance. 
Now  this  grayheaded  sinner  merely  says,  ^*Lord, 
remember  me,"  and  paradise  is  assured  to  him. 
A  clever  robber,  indeed.  A  few  moments  more 
and  he  will  seize  his  booty.  He  will  be  a  robber 
to  the  end.  Even  in  death,  he  cannot  desist.  He 
is  a  fortunate  robber.  After  all  that  he  has 
hitherto  acquired  by  pillage  and  rapine,  he  in 
the  end  seizes  upon  the  treasures  of  heaven. 

And  the  possession  of  paradise  is  promised  him 
for  that  same  day.  ''To-day  thou  shalt  be  with 
me  in  paradise."  Not,  then,  on  the  last  day,  not 
after  long  sufferings  in  purgatory,  no,  to-day,  be- 
fore the  sun  goes  down,  shall  he  see  God  face  to 
face.  Such  was  the  reward  of  his  heroic  profes- 
sion of  the  Divinity  of  Jesus  Christ,  of  his  glow- 
ing love  and  of  his  immeasurable  penitential  sor- 
row. He  died  a  martyr  of  love.  Yea,  that  was 
given  to  him  which  was  denied  to  the  patriarchs 
and  prophets,  even  to  St.  Joseph  and  St.  John 
the  Baptist.  For,  though  these  died  without  guilt 
and  immune  from  temporal  punishment,  they  had 
to  wait  in  Limbo  for  years  and  even  centuries  for 
the  hour  of  their  deliverance.  But  when  the  soul 
of  the  good  thief  arrived  in  Limbo,  it  was  already 
changed  into  paradise.  He  was  the  first  whose 
soul  obtained  the  beatific  vision  immediately  after 
death. 

What,  finally,  must  increase  our  astonishment 
is  the  fact  that  this  robber  accompanied  as  it  were, 
the  Redeemer  in  His  entry  into  paradise.  ^^WitJi 
me  thou  shalt  to-day  be  in  paradise."    It  would 


300  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

seem  that  Christ  would  have  reserved  such  an 
honor  for  His  Blessed  Mother,  for  St.  John  or  for 
other  innocent  souls.  One  might  almost  say  that 
Christ  owed  it  to  His  own  honor  to  select  a  choicer 
escort  when  entering  into  the  heavenly  kingdom. 
But  how  could  He  in  a  more  brilliant  light  have 
shown  to  the  souls  in  Limbo  the  infinite  fruits  of 
the  work  of  His  Redemption  and  the  power  of 
grace  merited  by  Himself  than  by  introducing 
into  their  midst  a  hoary-headed  sinner  whom,  a 
few  hours  before,  He  had  delivered  from  the 
thraldom  of  Satan.  A  converted  robber  and  mur- 
derer! That  was,  indeed,  the  most  glorious  first 
fruit  of  His  precious  Blood;  it  was. a  trophy  of 
victory  becoming  the  Redeemer  of  the  world,  the 
conqueror  of  hell. 

However,  as  the  promises  made  by  Christ  to  the 
thief  were  so  extraordinary  while  He  Himself  was 
the  picture  of  the  greatest  weakness  and  impo- 
tence. He  confirmed  them  with  a  solemn  declara- 
tion. '^Amen  I  say  to  thee,  this  day  thou  shalt 
be  with  me  in  paradise.''  At  these  words  the 
Pharisees  and  chief-priests  burst  into  an  infernal 
shout  of  scornful  laughter  and  asked  each  other 
in  all  seriousness  whether  or  not  the  man  on  high 
had  lost  His  reason  and  become  distracted. 

However,  no  matter  how  much  this  second  word 
of  Christ  on  the  cross,  as  is  clear  from  this  medi- 
tation, may  enliven  confidence  in  Him  and  dispel 
from  the  heart  of  the  greatest  sinner  all  discour- 
agement and  despondency,  we  should  still  not  for- 
get the  remark  of  St.  Augustine :  * '  It  is  one  who  in 


THE  SECOND  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  301 

his  last  hour  became  converted  and  found  grace, 
in  order  that  thou  mayest  not  despair;  but  it  is 
only  one,  that  thou  mayest  not  sin  by  presump- 
tion." In  view,  therefore,  of  the  happy  death  of 
the  thief  on  the  right,  no  one  ought  to  postpone 
his  conversion  to  the  time  of  death.  Whoever 
would  act  thus,  would  be  most  unlike  to  that  thief. 
He  had  indeed  conunitted  many  crimes  and  dis- 
graceful acts;  but  he  had  not  deliberately  re- 
mained impenitent.  On  the  contrary  he  made  use 
of  the  extraordinary  grace  he  received,  at  the  very 
moment  it  was  offered  him.  Illumined  by  this 
grace,  he  had  hardly  recognized  the  seriousness  of 
his  aberrations,  when  he  began  his  confession  and 
was  converted.  Whoever  deliberately  puts  off  his 
conversion  to  the  hour  of  death,  really  entertains 
the  sentiments  of  the  thief  on  the  left,  who  de- 
sired nothing  more  than  to  continue  his  life  of 
rapine.  For  this  reason  such  a  one  is,  like  the 
thief,  in  the  greatest  danger  of  dying  in  final 
impenitence. 

We  can  draw  another  practical  application  from 
this  meditation.  Before  us  we  behold  three  who 
are  crucified.  One  is  the  innocent  Saviour,  the 
second  is  a  penitent  sinner  and  the  third,  an  im- 
penitent one.  Therefore,  whoever  we  may  be,  it 
will  be  impossible  for  us  to  shirk  the  cross  in  this 
world  or  to  descend  from  it.  We  all,  without 
exception,  must  die  on  the  cross.  But  what  an 
immense  difference  there  was  between  the  cross  of 
the  bad  thief  and  that  of  the  good  one.  The  cross 
of  the  bad  thief  was  heavy;  without  any  solace 


302  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

whatever,  cursing  and  blaspheming,  he  rebelliously 
endured  the  most  cruel  torments.  It  was  a  sterile 
cross;  he  could  not  expect  even  the  least  reward 
for  all  his  sufferings.  It  was  a  cross  without  end, 
from  which  he  plunged  into  the  eternal  flames  of 
hell.  On  the  contrary,  the  cross  of  the  good  thief 
was  a  light  one ;  he  would  not  for  the  whole  world 
have  descended  from  it.  It  was  a  fruitful  one ;  he 
gained  heaven  thereby.  It  was  of  brief  duration; 
in  a  few  hours,  he  was  with  Christ  in  paradise. 
Let  us  resolve  then,  like  the  good  thief,  patiently 
to  persevere  on  the  cross  in  a  spirit  of  penance. 
According  to  his  example,  we  should  draw  the 
necessary  strength  and  power  from  the  sight,  the 
words  and  the  wounds  of  the  crucified  Redeemer, 
and  then  the  cross  shall  be  also  for  us  the  royal 
road  to  the  heavenly  paradise. 


CHAPTER  XXY. 

THE   THIRD    WORD    OP    CHRIST    ON    THE    CROSS 

"  When  Jesus  therefore  had  seen 
his  mother  and  the  disciple  stand- 
ing, whom  he  loved,  he  saith  to  his 
mother:  Woman,  behold  thy  son. 
After  that,  he  saith  to  the  disciple: 
Behold  thy  mother." 

(St.  John,  xix.,  26,  27.) 

The  first  word  of  Christ  on  the  cross  concerned 
His  enemies,  who,  however,  instead  of  being  con- 
verted, continued  to  offend  Him.  They,  indeed, 
more  than  others,  needed  His  pity.  His  help  and 
His  prayers.  The  second  word  was  addressed  to 
a  repentant  sinner  to  whom  Christ  bequeathed 
paradise.  Not  until  He  spoke  the  third  time  did 
He  address  His  relatives  and  friends. 

St.  John  records  this  incident  in  the  following 
terms:  **Now  there  stood  by  the  cross  of  Jesus 
his  mother,  and  his  mother's  sister,  Mary  of  Cle- 
ophas,  and  Mary  Magdalene.  When  Jesus  there- 
fore had  seen  his  mother  and  the  disciple  standing, 
whom  he  loved,  he  saith  to  his  mother:  Woman, 
behold  thy  son.  After  that,  he  saith  to  the  dis- 
ciple: Behold  thy  mother.  And  from  that  hour 
the  disciple  took  her  to  his  own.''^    If,  in  ap- 

1  St.  John,  xix.,  25-27. 

303 


304  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

parent  opposition  to  St.  John's  narrative,  the  three 
other  evangelists  write  that  the  above  mentioned 
persons  and  a  few  others  were  standing  at  some 
distance  from  the  cross/  it  is  to  be  remarked  that 
they  refer  to  a  different  time.  In  the  beginning, 
at  the  crucifixion  and  the  raising  of  the  cross,  the 
women  stood  at  some  distance.  It  was  the  only 
thing  they  could  do.  Later  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
John,  Mary,  the  wife  of  Cleophas,  and  Magdalene 
approached  nearer  to  the  cross. 

Let  us  now  consider 
I.     The  persons  to  whom  Christ  addressed  the 
third  word    and 

II.     The  word  itself.       ..      \^*^^' 

The  persons  to  whom  Christ  addressed  the  third 
word  were  His  holy  mother  and  the  disciple  whom 
Jesus  loved. 

The  mother  of  Jesus,  then,  stood  under  the  cross, 
a  fact  which  was  indeed  astonishing.  Was  it  not 
unheard  of  for  a  mother  of  her  own  volition  to 
assist  at  the  execution  of  her  son,  especially  when 
the  execution  was  not  a  hurried  one,  such  as  de- 
capitation, but  one  accomplished  by  a  slow  proc- 
ess of  terror-inspiring  torture?  Still,  the  mother 
of  Jesus  was  present  at  the  place  of  execution; 
she  even  looked  attentively  upon  the  different 
scenes.  She  did  not,  like  Agar,  turn  away  her 
eyes  so  that  she  might  not  behold  her  Son  dying. 

1  St.  Matthew,  xxvii.,  55,  56;  St.  Mark,  xv.,  40,  41  j  St. 
Luke,  xxiii..   49. 


THE  THIRD  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  305 

No,  like  the  mother  of  the  Maccabees,  she  had  her 
eyes  fixed  constantly  on  her  dying  Son.  That 
such  was  the  case  is  clearly  indicated  in  the  Scrip- 
tures. For  when  the  Saviour  said,  '*  Woman,  be- 
hold thy  son,"  it  was  only  by  His  look  that  He 
could  show  His  mother  that  He  meant  her  and 
not  one  of  the  other  women.  Their  looks,  then, 
must  have  met.  Mary,  therefore,  beheld  the  thou- 
sand wounds  from  which  the  blood  flowed  to  the 
ground;  she  saw  the  hands  and  feet  pierced  with 
nails;  she  saw  the  cruelly  lacerated  body;  she 
heard  the  blasphemies  and  the  jeers  of  His  ene- 
mies. She  heard  and  saw  all  this,  and  it  must 
indeed  have  caused  indescribable  pain  to  her  ma- 
ternal heart.  Besides,  she  could  do  nothing  to 
allay  the  sufferings  of  her  Son.  The  wounds  were 
open;  she  could  not  bind  them.  The  lips  were 
parched  with  a  burning  thirst ;  she  could  not  hand 
Him  a  refreshing  drink.  The  Holy  Face  was  dis- 
figured by  spittle  and  blood;  she  could  not  refresh 
it.  The  honor  of  her  innocent  and  suffering  Son 
was  attacked ;  she  could  not  defend  Him.  He  was 
forsaken  by  heaven  and  by  earth,  and  she  could 
give  Him  no  comfort.  What  a  difference  between 
times  gone  by  and  the  present,  between  the  man- 
ger and  the  cross !  Certainly  even  then.  His  couch 
was  not  strewn  with  roses,  but  she  could  at  least 
take  care  of  Him,  she  could,  in  her  maternal  love, 
dry  the  tears  of  the  moaning  Babe,  she  could  fold 
Him  in  her  maternal  arms.  What  a  difference 
between  the  crib  and  the  cross!     There  was  life, 

here  is  death;  there  the  adoring  shepherds  and 
20 


306  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

the  Magi,  here  the  blaspheming  Jews  and  the  Gen- 
tiles. There  the  songs  of  angels  abounded,  here 
all  is  total  abandonment.  Even  the  very  honor 
of  the  mother  of  God  was  attacked  by  the  Jews. 
Instead  of  sympathy  and  consolation,  she  received 
from  them  railings  and  ridicule.  "She  thought 
herself,"  we  may  suppose  they  said,  "the  mother 
of  the  Messias.  Now  she  can  see  to  what  sort  of 
a  Messias  she  has  given  life."  But  more  than 
all  this,  the  thought  grieved  her  that  these  cruel- 
ties to  Her  Son  were  offenses  against  the  Heavenly 
Father.  The  thought,  finally,  that  the  Blood  of 
Her  Son  was  being  shed  in  vain  for  millions  of 
people,  filled  the  measure  of  her  woe  and  made  of 
her  a  sorrowful  mother  indeed. 

However,  Christ  was  to  suffer  death  for  the  wel- 
fare of  mankind;  such  was  the  will  of  the  Heav- 
enly Father,  and  not  one  human  soul  could  be 
saved  otherwise.  She,  therefore,  bore  her  mental 
anguish  with  the  utmost  resignation,  with  heroic 
patience.  She  stood  beneath  the  cross,  says  the 
Gospel.  She  did  not  faint  and  drop  from  exhaus- 
tion, as  some  pictures  represent  her.  Nor  did  she 
lacerate  her  flesh  in  the  greatness  of  her  sorrow, 
says  St.  Anselm;  she  murmured  not,  she  did  not 
/appeal  to  God's  vengeance,  she  did  not  tear  her 
hair,  nor  did  she  fill  the  air  with  her  cries.  No; 
she  stood  beneath  the  cross,  erect,  subdued,  modest, 
her  eyes  filled  with  tears  and  her  heart  with  woe, 
our  true  model  when  we  assist  at  the  death  of  rela- 
tives. We  may  then,  indeed,  be  sad,  but  not  like 
to  those  who  have  no  hope.     Our  sadness  should 


THE  THIRD  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  307 

partake  of  a  Christian  and  not  of  a  pagan  char- 
acter. Mary  stood  under  the  cross;  she  bore  all 
her  sufferings  with  a  heaven-born  patience.  Even 
more;  she  took  part,  as  much  as  a  merely  human 
being  could,  in  the  sacrificial  act  of  Christ.  For, 
whilst  her  Divine  Son,  as  the  High-Priest  of  the 
New  Law,  offered  up  to  Heaven  His  Blood  and 
His  Life,  she  made  the  offering  with  Him.  She 
put  her  heart  and  all  its  sorrow  into  the  chalice 
of  the  Redeemer.  ''It  was  well,"  once  remarked 
a  mother  after  listening  to  the  narrative  of  Abra- 
ham's sacrifice,  "that  God  demanded  this  sacrifice 
of  the  father,  for  the  heart  of  a  mother  would 
never  have  been  equal  to  it."  Mary,  however, 
subdued  even  the  power  of  her  own  maternal 
heart.  Thus  did  the  second  Eve  re-establish  what 
the  first  Eve,  standing  beneath  the  tree,  had  de- 
stroyed. 

The  other  person  to  whom  the  third  word  was 
addressed  was  St.  John.  His  presence  beneath  the 
cross  is  also  a  cause  for  wonder.  For,  at  the  seiz- 
ure of  Christ,  he  with  the  other  apostles  had  lost 
courage  and  had  hastily  fled.  But,  after  his  first 
fright  had  subsided,  he  soon,  happily  for  him, 
joined  Mary,  and  sought  refuge  with  her.  At  her 
side,  and  led  as  it  were  by  her  motherly  hand,  he 
courageously  ascended  Calvary.  Mary  led  the  de- 
serting apostle  back  to  the  Redeemer. 

Thus  John  arrived  near  the  cross  where  a  three- 
fold and  very  painful  trial  awaited  him.  First, 
his  humility  was  put  to  the  test.  He  was  recog- 
nized as  an  adherent  and  disciple  of  the  Crucified 


308  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

One.  ''It  had  been  better  for  him,"  they  said, 
"had  he  remained  at  his  nets  instead  of  joining 
an  impostor ;  but  undoubtedly  he  thought  he  would 
obtain,  through  him,  something  worth  having." 
Then  his  faith  was  tried.  Nothing  of  what  he 
saw  on  Golgotha,  betrayed  the  only-begotten  Son 
of  God,  the  wonder  working  Master.  What  he  did 
see  in  the  Crucified  One,  wounds,  ignominy  and 
weakness,  apparently  militated  against  His  Divin- 
ity. But  John  held  in  abeyance  his  reason  and  his 
senses.  He  doubted  not,  neither  did  he  take  um- 
brage nor  was  he  scandalized  at  his  Crucified 
Master.  The  most  painful  trial  was  reserved  for 
his  love.  What  torture  for  his  loving  heart  to  be- 
hold his  Redeemer  in  such  torments  and  to  know 
that  the  hour  of  separation  was  fast  approaching! 
However,  John,  like  Mary,  stood  beneath  the  cross, 
his  eyes  unceasingly  turned  on  the  Holy  Face. 
The  humility  he  shows  in  speaking  of  his  steadfast- 
ness is  truly  touching.  He  does  not  mention  his 
own  name;  he  merely  says,  "There  stood  the  dis- 
ciple whom  Jesus  loved."  He  wished  to  intimate 
thereby  that  he  owed  his  steadfastness  not  to  his 
own  power,  but  solely  and  alone  to  the  love  and 
grace  of  the  Redeemer,  upon  Whose  breast  he  had 
reclined  at  the  Last  Supper. 

When  Jesus,  therefore,  says  Holy  Writ,  had  seen 
His  mother  and  the  disciple  standing  whom  He 
loved,  He  said  to  His  mother,  "Woman,  behold 
thy  son."  After  that  He  said  to  the  disciple, 
"Son,  behold  thy  mother."  Let  us  examine  this 
third  word  more  closely. 


THE  THIRD  WOIU)  ON  THE  CKOSS  309 

II. 

The  first  part  of  the  third  word  of  Christ  was 
addressed  to  His  mother.  For  He  took  deeply  to 
heart  her  sorrow  and  sadness.  He  alone,  Who 
knew  the  greatness  of  her  love,  could  know  the 
greatness  of  her  sorrow.  She  had,  indeed,  a  pow- 
erful claim  on  His  filial  love  and  gratitude.  For 
thirty  years  He  had  grown  under  her  watchful 
care.  The  unceasing  industry  of  her  hands  had 
provided,  in  His  infancy,  for  His  daily  suste- 
nance. Then  all  the  rude  trials  to  which  Mary 
had  been  subjected  for  His  sake  passed  before  His 
mind:  the  suspicion,  albeit  guiltless,  of  St.  Jo- 
seph, the  journey  to  Bethlehem,  the  contempt  met 
with  there,  the  flight  into  Egypt,  the  three  days' 
search  for  the  boy  of  twelve  years,  the  meeting  on 
the  way  to  Calvary.  And  now  His  death  is  to 
inflict  on  her  the  hardest  blow  of  all.  It  touched 
Him.  From  filial  love  and  as  an  example  to  all 
children,  to  all  sons  and  daughters.  He  provided 
as  well  as  He  could  on  His  death-bed  for  His 
mother.  He  confided  her  to  a  man,  who,  He  was 
convinced,  would  fill  His  place  as  far  as  was  pos- 
sible and  who  would  lighten  the  sorrow  of  Mary 
at  the  loss  of  her  Son.  *' Woman,  behold  thy 
son. ' '  . 

''But,  0  good  Jesus,"  asks  St.  Bernard  anent  I 
these  words,  ''why  art  Thou  ashamed  to  call  Mary  \ 
Thy  mother,  who  bore  Thee  under  her  heart,  who 
nourished    Thee    in    Thine    infancy,    who    clothed 
Thee  and  who  cared  for  Thee  so  tenderly?    Why 


X 


310  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

dost  Thou  say  so  harshly:  Woman,  behold  thy 
son?"  We  might  remind  the  Saint  that  at  that 
time  the  word  'woman'  had  not  the  contemptuous 
sense  which  nowadays  is  sometimes  attached  to  it, 
but  that  it  had  an  honorable  meaning.  But  it  still 
remains  true  that  it  has  not  the  significance  of 
the  word  'mother.'  Why,  then,  did  not  Christ 
call  Mary  mother?  Because,  in  the  first  place.  He 
would  not  increase  her  suffering  nor  render  more 
acute  her  sorrow  by  pronouncing  the  sweet  name 
of  mother.  For  separation  from  dearly  beloved 
persons  is  made  lighter  by  showing  apathy  and 
want  of  feeling  and  by  refraining  from  marks  of 
tenderness.  Then  the  Saviour  avoided  mentioning 
the  name  of  mother  in  order  not  to  excite  and 
embitter  against  the  mother  the  enemies  of  the 
Son.  He,  as  it  were,  represented  her  to  the  Jews 
as  being  a  stranger  to  Himself.  These  words, 
moreover,  contain  a  mysterious  reference,  filled 
with  solace  and  comfort  for  Mary,  to  the  glad 
tidings  which  God  announced  to  our  first  parents 
when  He  spoke  of  the  woman  who  should  crush 
the  serpent's  head.  Finally,  the  words  of  the 
Saviour  enfolded  another  great  mystery.  For, 
whenever  He  acted  as  God,  as  for  instance,  at 
the  marriage  feast  of  Cana,  or  before  that,  when 
He  was  found  by  His  parents  in  the  Temple,  He 
never  called  Mary  mother;  He  rather  considered 
her  as  His  creature.  And  now  Christ,  the  Eternal 
High-Priest,  was  about  to  redeem  IMary,  as  well 
as  the  rest  of  mankind,  by  His  death. 

No  matter  how  considerate  and  forbearing  the 


THE  THIRD  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  311 

Saviour  meant  the  words  to  Mary  to  be,  many  holy 
Fathers  nevertheless  opine  that  at  this  word  the 
prophecy  of  Simeon  was  accomplished:  ''Thy  own 
soul  a  sword  of  sorrow  shall  pierce;"  that,  at  this 
moment,  Mary  became  the  queen  of  holy  martyrs. 
For  at  this  moment  she  sacrificed  the  last  claims 
of  her  maternal  love.  It  was  indeed  a  sad  ex- 
change. The  servant  should  now  be  her  son  in- 
stead of  the  Lord;  the  disciple,  instead  of  the 
Master;  the  son  of  Zebedee,  instead  of  the  Son 
of  God;  the  mere  man,  instead  of  the  true  God. 
''My  son,"  Mary  could  well  exclaim,  "why  hast 
thou  done  so  to  me  ? "  ^  "  Call  me  not  Noemi 
(that  is,  beautiful,)  but  call  me  Mara  (that  is, 
bitter,)  for  the  Almighty  hath  quite  filled  me  with 
bitterness. "  2  But  in  all  humility  she  now  re- 
ceived the  sad  message  as  she  formerly  re- 
ceived the  glad  tidings  of  the  angel.  "Behold," 
she  said,  "I  am  the  handmaid  of  the  Lord.  Be  it 
done  to  me  according  to  His  word." 

The  second  part  of  the  third  word  was  ad- 
dressed to  St.  John.  The  Saviour  was  touched 
also  by  the  grief  and  sadness  of  this  disciple  who 
so  faithfully  stood  beneath  the  cross.  To  console 
him  for  the  dire  loss  which  he  was  to  suffer  in  His 
death,  Christ  gives  him  His  own  mother  as  a  com- 
pensation: "Son,  behold  thy  mother."  Hereby 
Christ  reminds  the  disciple  of  his  duty  to  care  for 
Mary  as  a  good  child  ought.  And  John,  from 
that  hour,  took  her  unto  his  own. 

iSt.  Luke,  ii.,  48. 
2  Ruth,  i.,  20. 


312  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

By  these  words  of  the  Redeemer  an  extraordi- 
nary distinction  and  honor  was  conferred  upon 
St.  John.  How  a  minister  feels  honored  when  rep- 
resenting a  mighty  king  or  emperor  at  a  foreign 
court!  But  what  is  all  that  in  comparison  with 
the  distinction  accorded  to  St.  John,  who,  in  rela- 
tion to  Mary,  was  to  represent  the  King  of  kings, 
the  Son  of  God?  What  an  honor,  besides,  was  it 
not  for  St.  John  to  be  permitted  to  greet  as  his 
own  mother,  the  mother  of  God.  It  was  certainly 
a  glorious  feast  in  heaven  when  Christ,  some  years 
later,  took  Mary,  body  and  soul,  into  heaven.  All 
angels  and  archangels,  all  cherubim  and  sera- 
phim felt  honored  when  greeting  her  as  their 
queen.  In  honor,  therefore,  of  their  mistress  and 
queen  they  chanted  their  most  beautiful  lays. 
They  saluted  her  as  the  Queen  of  glory,  as  the 
exalted  Queen  of  heaven,  but  as  their  mother — 
never!  They  durst  not  call  the  Blessed  Virgin 
mother,  that  was  the  privilege  of  St.  John. 

This  distinction  was,  furthermore,  richly 
fraught  with  grace  for  St.  John.  And  did  not 
Christ  owe  it  to  His  mother,  ay,  to  His  own  honor, 
to  adorn  His  representative  with  virtues  and  heav" 
enly  gifts?  Most  certainly  He  did.  And  what 
an  increase  was  added  to  these  graces  through  the 
intercession  and  the  example  of  the  Blessed  Vir- 
gin! We  may  truly  apply  to  St.  John  what  St. 
Thomas  of  Villanova  says  of  St.  Joseph:  ''If  a 
single  salutation  of  this  Virgin  could  sanctify  the 
precursor  of  the  Lord  before  his  birth,  what,  think 


THE  THIRD  WORD  ON  THE  CEOSS  313 

you,  did  the  society  of  Mary  during  many  years, 
effect  in  St.  John  ? ' '  But  if  we  ask  for  the  reasons 
why  it  was  St.  John  who  received  this  great  dis- 
tinction, the  holy  Fathers  are  unanimous  in  an- 
swering that  it  was  above  all  the  virginal  purity 
of  this  apostle  which  attracted  the  heart  and  the 
eyes  of  Christ.  We  ought,  then,  to  preserve  un- 
sullied the  purity  of  our  state  of  life.  ' '  It  is  good 
and  wholesome  also,"  says  one  holy  Father  in 
reference  to  this  distinction,  ''to  stand  under  the 
cross  of  Christ  and  to  persevere  beneath  it." 

"Woman,  behold  thy  Son!  Son,  behold  thy 
Mother!"  Although  these  words  of  the  dying 
Redeemer  fill  our  hearts  with  sadness  at  Mary's 
afflictions,  although  they  spur  us  on  to  assure  the 
mother  of  Jesus,  standing  under  the  cross,  of  our 
admiration  and  of  our  sympathy,  still  they  are 
for  us,  as  they  were  for  St.  John,  words  of  the 
sweetest  consolation.  For  in  saying  these  words, 
Christ  also  thought  of  us.  Undoubtedly  John 
was  privileged,  inasmuch  as  he  alone  took  the 
mother  of  Jesus  into  his  own  house  and  cared  for 
her  as  for  his  own  mother.  But  it  is  the  convic- 
tion of  Holy  Church  that,  at  that  moment,  John 
also  represented  the  entire  human  race.  In  the 
name  of  us  all,  John  received  the  consoling  mes- 
sage. By  consenting  to  the  incarnation  of  the 
Son  of  God,  Mary  had  already  become  our  mother. 
But,  before  departing,  Christ  wished  solemnly  to 
declare  her  as  such  and  to  recommend  the  care 
of  her  spiritual  children  to  her  who  is  the  second, 


314  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

better  Eve  and  the  true  giver  of  life.^  Therefore 
the  words  of  the  Saviour,  ''Behold  thy  mother," 
are  to  be  taken  not  merely  as  an  instance  of 
tender,  filial  solicitude,  but  also  as  a  last  act  of 
love  on  the  part  of  the  dying  Redeemer,  intended 
to  embrace  the  whole  world. 

According  to  the  will  of  Christ,  then,  Mary 
should  be  our  spiritual  Mother  and  we  should  be 
her  children.  For  which  reason  we  ought  to  ren- 
der ourselves  worthy  of  such  a  great  honor  by 
daily  greeting  her  as  our  mother,  by  loving  and 
revering  her  and  by  imitating  the  glorious  ex- 
ample of  virtues  she  gives  us,  especially  of  stead- 
fastness in  suffering.  But  she  ought  to  be  the 
mother  not  only  of  each  one  in  particular,  but 
also  of  all  Christian  families.  Every  Christian 
family  should  take  her,  as  John  did,  and  receive 
her  joyfully  into  their  house.  Especially  should 
we  invoke  the  Mother  of  Sorrows  at  the  hour  of 
death.  She  assisted  so  lovingly  at  the  death  of 
her  Divine  Son,  she  will  also  assist  us  maternally 
at  our  demise  and  obtain  for  us  the  grace  of  a 
happy  death. 

1  Scheeben,  Handbueh  der  Dogmatik,  3  Vol.  Part  I, 
ch.  5,  No.  1626  —  1630,  No.  1813  — 1817.— Kolb,  S.  J. 
Wegweiser  in  die  Marianische  Litteratur  (Freiburg,  Her- 
der, 1888),  pp.  15  —  18,  77  —  79. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

THE    FOURTH    WORD    OF    CHRIST    ON    THE    CROSS 

"  And  about  the  ninth  hour  Jesus 
cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying: 
My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  for- 
saken me  ?  " 

(St.  Matthew,  xxvii.,  46.) 

After  Christ  had  addressed  the  third  word  to 
His  Blessed  Mother  and  to  St.  John,  there  oc- 
curred an  eclipse  of  the  sun  of  three  hours'  dura- 
tion. In  order  not  to  interrupt  our  subject,  we 
shall,  later  on,  pay  some  attention  to  this  wonder- 
ful event  of  nature. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  eclipse,  at  the  ninth 
hour,  according  to  our  time  about  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  Christ  broke  the  solemn  silence 
and  exclaimed  with  a  loud  voice:  "My  God,  my 
God,  why  hast  Thou  forsaken  me?"  Now  the 
long  desired  hour  had  arrived,  the  ninth  hour, 
which  was  to  mark  a  turning  point  in  the  history 
of  mankind:  the  hour  in  which  error's  shadow 
was  to  recede  before  truth,  and  the  day  of  salva- 
tion was  to  begin. 

But  what  a  remarkable  outcry!  What  an  as- 
tonishing complaint!  Such  a  reproach  had  cer- 
tainly never  been  heard  as  long  as  the  world  ex- 
315 


316  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

isted,  nor  shall  another  like  it  be  heard  until  the 
end  of  time.  We  need  all  the  power  of  faith  to 
believe  that  it  really  happened,  as  reason  would 
fain  revolt  and  deem  it  impossible.  We  can  easily 
understand  that  man  might  complain  of  man  or 
that  God  might  complain  of  man ;  but  that  Christ, 
the  Son  of  God  should  complain  of  God  is  a 
mystery  that  goes  beyond  our  comprehension. 

However,   let   us  make   an   effort  to   penetrate 
more  deeply  into  these  words  by  considering  ^ 
I.     The  meaning  of  these  words, 
II.     The  reasons  for  uttering  them  and 
III.     The  different  impressions  they  made  upon 
the  auditors. 


When  Christ  complained  of  abandonment,  or  of 
a  kind  of  separation  from  God,  He  could  have  had 
reference  only  to  His  human  nature.  He  there- 
fore did  not  address  Himself  to  the  Father,  but  to 
God,  showing  thereby  that  He  was  offering  His 
plaint  not  as  the  Son  to  the  Father,  but  as  man 
to  God.  Now  the  abandonment  by  God  of  Christ's 
human  nature  was  not  a  separation  of  the  latter 
from  the  second  Person  of  God.  For  the  union  of 
the  second  Person  of  the  Godhead  with  Christ's 
human  nature  was  and  is  inseparable.  If  this 
union  had  been  dissolved  at  the  death  of  Christ, 
then  not  God,  but  a  mere  man  would  have  died 
for  us,  and  our  redemption  would  not  be  accom- 

1  St.  Matthew,  xxvii,,  46,  47 ;  St.  Mark,  xv.,  34,  35. 


THE  FOURTH  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  317 

plished.    Neither   was  the   abandonment  by   God 
of  the  human  nature  in  Christ  a  withdrawal  of 
grace.     On  the  contrary,  the  plenitude  of  grace 
at  all  times  existing  in  Christ  effected  that  forti- 
tude which  bore  Him  up  on  the  cross  as  it  had 
done  in  the  Garden  of  Olives.     The  abandonment, 
finally,  did  not  consist  in  depriving  the  soul  of 
Christ  for   a  time  of  the   direct  vision  of  God. 
Christ  rather  complained,  not  only  that  God  re- 
fused to  preserve  His  human  nature  from  impend- 
ing death,  but  also  that  He  abandoned  it  to  suffer- 
ing without  the  least  solace  whatever.     For  His 
human  nature  might  have  been  relieved  in  a  two- 
fold way ;  first,  through  a  direct  action  on  all  that 
contributed  to  make  it  suffer:  upon  the  thorns, 
the  nails  and  the  scourges,  by  depriving  them  of 
their  power  to  inflict  pain,  upon  the  arms  of  the 
executioners   by   withering   them,    and   upon    the 
tongues  of  the  blasphemers  by  paralyzing  them. 
Secondly,  God  could  have  filled  the  soul  of  Christ 
with   such   consolation   that   He   would   not  have 
felt  external  pain.     Nothing  of  the  kind  happened, 
however.     On  the   contrary,    God   abandoned   the 
soul  of  Christ  to  repugnance,  to  fear,  to  sadness 
and  to  the  excruciating  knowledge  that  His  Pas- 
sion would  be  useless  to  so  many  human  beings. 
He  even  allowed  Satan  whose  hour  was  at  hand, 
to  employ  this  time  of  unnumbered  sufferings  in 
most  cruelly  torturing  the  Soul  of  Christ.     God 
assisted  Christ's  human  nature  only  in  so  far  as 
was  necessary  to  sustain  it  in  the  midst  of  these 
terrible  afflictions.     He  appeared  to  prolong  life 


318  HISTOPvY  OF  THE  PASSION 

only  to  make  possible  more  suffering.  This  was 
the  object  and  the  cause  of  the  reproach.  It  is 
hardly  necessary  to  mention  that  Christ  permitted 
this  sense  of  abandonment  with  the  full  freedom 
of  His  Will. 

No  matter  how  painful  this  abandonment  by 
God  was  to  the  Saviour,  He  did  not,  in  those 
moments,  suffer  the  abandonment  of  the  damned 
in  hell,  as  Calvin,  the  gloomy  heretic,  maintains. 
Not  at  all.  The  abandonment  of  the  damned  is 
without  hope  and  full  of  despair.  Not  so  the 
abandonment  of  the  Redeemer.  This  appears 
clearly  from  the  twenty-first  psalm  in  which  the 
prophetic  spirit  of  king  David  describes  the  senti- 
ments and  feelings  of  the  Redeemer  at  this  mo- 
ment. The  prophet  first  shows  us  that  when 
Christ  asked  of  God  the  reason  of  the  abandon- 
ment. He  was  not  at  all  in  ignorance  of  it.  For 
after  crying  out :  ' '  0  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou 
forsaken  me?"  Christ  answers  Himself:  "Far 
from  my  salvation  are  the  words  of  my  sins, ' '  that 
is,  the  sins  of  men,  laden  upon  Me,  are  the  cause, 
why  there  can  be  no  thought  of  My  salvation  or 
of  My  escape  from  death.  They  are  the  cause 
why,  besides  being  the  reproach  of  men  and  the 
outcast  of  the  people  who  have  numbered  all  ]\Iy 
bones,  I  am  also  forsaken  by  heaven  and  deprived 
of  all  consolation.  Then,  however,  Christ  rises  to 
the  joyful  confidence  that  after  His  death,  not 
only  the  Jews,  but  all  the  nations  of  the  Gentiles 
shall  return  to  the  Lord  and  in  His  Church  shall 
be    satiated     with    the    meat    of    His    sacrifice. 


THE  FOURTH  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS         319 

Whether  or  not,  as  some  theologians  opine,  Christ 
said  the  entire  psalm  in  a  subdued  voice,  we  may 
not  decide.  Thus  much  is  certain,  that  the  psalm 
expresses  the  feelings  and  sentiments  of  the  Re- 
deemer and  that  the  first  words  thereof,  ''God,  my 
God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?"  were  pro- 
nounced by  Christ  in  a  loud  tone  of  voice. 

Let  us  now  examine  the  reasons  for  uttering 
this  reproach. 

II. 

Three  reasons  urged  the  Saviour  to  utter  it. 
First  he  was  impelled  by  the  humility  of  His 
Heart.  Then  He  uttered  the  plaint  for  our  mani- 
fold instruction  and,  lastly,  for  our  consolation. 

In  the  first  place,  the  humility  of  His  Heart 
urged  Him  to  perform,  before  His  demise,  the 
most  heroic  act  of  self-humiliation.  The  humilia- 
tions heaped  upon  Him  by  His  enemies  were  in- 
deed very  great  and  burdensome  beyond  expres- 
sion. But  they  rebounded  from  His  Divine  Pa- 
tience and  Majesty  as  from  a  shield  and,  at  least, 
Christ  did  not  therefore  lose  the  respect  of  well- 
meaning  people.  But  by  complaining  of  being 
abandoned  by  God,  He,  as  it  were,  abandoned  Him- 
self. It  was  the  greatest  act  of  self-abasement 
and  of  self-renunciation  which  can  be  imagined. 
For,  indeed,  0  Saviour  Jesus  Christ!  if  God 
hath  abandoned  Thee,  as  whom  should  we  con- 
sider Thee  ?  Thou  hast,  in  the  past,  worked  thou- 
sands of  miracles  to  prove  that  Thou  art  true 
God,  as  is  the  Father,  and  now  Thou  complainest 


320  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

that  God  hath  forsaken  Thee !  Thou  hast  publicly 
proclaimed  to  the  people  that  ''what  things  soever 
the  Father  doth,  these  the  Son  also  doth  in  like 
manner. ' '  ^  David,  the  prophet,  once  said  that 
he  had  never  seen  the  just  forsaken.  But  of  the 
sinner  it  is  said,  "We  know  that  God  doth  not 
hear  sinners. "  ^  I  therefore  ask  again,  if  God 
has  abandoned  Thee,  whom  should  we  consider 
Thee  to  be?  How  can  John,  standing  at  the  foot 
of  the  cross  and  hearing  Thy  complaint,  still 
write,  "We  saw  his  glory,  the  glory  as  it  were  of 
the  only  begotten  of  the  Father  ? "  ^  However, 
by  this  self-abasement,  by  this  obscuring  of  Plis 
Divinity,  of  His  Divine  Power  and  Sanctity,  the 
Redeemer  would  atone  fully  for  the  pride  and 
self-deification  of  our  first  parents,  which  had 
brought  all  evil  into  the  world. 

Secondly,  Christ  complained  of  being  forsaken 
for  our  manifold  instruction.  Above  all,  He 
wished  to  forestall  an  erroneous  and  mischievous 
idea  of  His  Passion.  The  wonderful  calm  and 
patience  which  the  Saviour  had  shown  throughout 
the  day  amid  so  many  and  such  various  sufferings, 
might  lead  those  who  had  witnessed  it  to  the  opin- 
ion that  He  was  entirely  devoid  of  feeling  or  sen- 
sation. In  view  of  all  these  facts,  we  ourselves 
might  be  tempted  to  assume  that  the  Soul  of 
Christ,  in  the  last  hours  of  life,  was  plunged  in  a 
sea    of    heavenly    consolation,    as    was    the    case 

iSt.  John,  v.,  19. 

2  St.  John,  ix.,  31. 

3  St.  John,  i.,  14. 


THE  FOURTH  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  321 

with  many  martyrs,  wlio  were  thereby  rendered 
insensible  to  pain.  The  sufferings  of  Christ,  to  a 
certain  extent,  would  then  have  been  such  in  ap- 
pearance only.  Such  a  conception  of  them  would 
naturally  cloud  our  knowledge  of  His  Love  and 
of  the  horrors  of  sin  for  which  He  had  to  suffer, 
whilst  it  would  also  lower  the  value  of  the  grace 
and  the  glory  purchased  by  these  sufferings. 
Therefore  Christ,  from  Whose  lips  a  complaint 
had  never  been  heard,  complained  at  the  end  of 
His  life  of  being  forsaken,  and  that  in  a  loud 
voice,  so  that  all  men  might  know  the  enormity 
of  His  Soul's  sufferings.  The  joy  and  the  exulta- 
tion of  a  St.  Lawrence  and  of  so  many  other  mar- 
tyrs in  the  midst  of  the  most  terrific  tortures  were 
fruits  of  this  abandonment  of  the  Redeemer. 

Then  again,  Christ's  complaint  of  being  for- 
saken demonstrates  to  us  the  greatness  of  that 
punishment  in  hell  which  consists  in  the  loss  of 
God.  For  there  are  Christians  who  fear  hell  on 
account  of  the  eternal  fire  only.  To  be  separated 
from  God  and  to  be  deprived  of  His  society  seems 
to  them  trifling  and  tolerable  enough.  Now,  if 
the  abandonment  by  God  caused  Christ  such  fear- 
ful torments,  although  His  release  was  so  near, 
what  then,  we  are  constrained  to  ask,  must  be  the 
abandonment  in  hell,  accompanied  as  it  is,  by 
God's  curse,  combined  with  despair  and  lasting 
forever  ? 

Thirdly,  Christ  wished  to  direct  our  attention 
to  the  chief  object  to  which  our  plaints  ought  to 
refer.  We  complain  often  and  of  many  things, 
21 


322  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

but,  alas,  not  always  of  what  it  is  worth,  our  while 
to  complain  of.  We  should  send  up  our  cries  to 
God  when  we  are  forsaken  by  Him,  and  this  takes 
place  when  mortal  sin  is  committed.  Indeed,  when 
mortal  sin  has  brought  about  the  most  fearful 
abandonment  by  God,  when  the  fires  of  hell  are 
burning  underneath  one's  feet,  then  it  is  high  time 
to  cry  out  with  a  loud  voice, ' '  O  God,  my  God,  why 
hast  Thou  forsaken  me?"  Then  not  a  stone 
should  be  left  unturned  in  the  effort  to  be  freed 
from  that  awful  condition;  then  the  sound  of  our 
wails  and  of  our  prayers  should  ascend  to  God 
that  He  may  grant  us  the  grace  of  conversion  and 
pardon  of  our  sins. 

Finally,  Christ,  complaining  of  abandonment, 
wished  to  be  the  comfort  and  model  of  all  the  just 
in  their  disconsolate  hours.  It  does  not  seldom 
happen  that  God,  after  having  filled  with  joyful 
solace  a  soul  in  its  devotions  in  order  to  draw  it 
closer  to  Himself,  quite  unexpectedly  ceases  to 
bestow  such  marks  of  favor  and,  like  the  sun, 
appears  to  hide  himself  behind  clouds.  The  sweet 
sense  of  God's  presence  and  of  pleasure  in  prayer 
vanish,  until  finally  the  soul  feels  as  if  God  has 
withdrawn  His  grace,  forsaken  it  entirely  and 
abandoned  it  to  eternal  ruin.  In  this  condition, 
which  is  more  painful  and  more  torturing  than 
any  other  kind  of  suffering,  Christ  ought  to  be 
our  consolation  and  at  the  same  time  our  model. 
In  such  moods  of  the  soul  we  should,  according  to 
His  example,  humbly  and  confidently  address  our 
complaints  to  God.     But  we  ought  to  be  honest 


THE  FOURTH  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  323 

enough  to  add  with  Christ,  "Far  from  my  salva- 
tion are  the  words  of  my  sins."  In  the  case  of 
great  saints  such  as  St.  Francis  of  Assisi  and  St. 
Catherine  of  Siena,  it  was  a  special  privilege 
granted  them  by  Almighty  God  that  they  shared 
these  particular  sufferings  of  the  Lord.  For  us 
poor  sinners,  however,  such  tortures  are  usually  a 
punishment.  They  are  a  punishment  for  our 
venial  sins,  for  our  lukewarmness  and  for  our 
attachment  to  the  honors  and  pleasures  of  the 
world.  Ah!  indeed,  to  go  with  the  world  and  to 
enjoy  its  pleasures  as  much  as  we  can  without 
grievous  guilt,  and  at  the  same  time  taste  of  the 
sweets  of  heaven,  is  something  impossible.  We 
should,  therefore,  bewail  our  lukewarmness  and 
our  venial  sins,  we  should,  in  our  abandonment, 
cry  to  God  with  the  loud  voice  of  prayer  and  of 
works  of  penance,  and  He,  then,  will  disperse  the 
dark  clouds  and  again  turn  to  us  His  countenance 
full  of  favor  and  of  love. 

There  yet  remains  the  consideration  of  the  dif- 
ferent impressions  produced  upon  the  by-standers 
by  the  cry  of  the  Redeemer. 

III. 

The  great  mass  of  the  people  remained  cold  and 
indifferent;  they  cared  very  little  about  the  Sav- 
iour's words. 

Others,  notably  the  chief-priests  and  scribes, 
were  seized  with  a  frenzy  of  anger  at  this  fourth 
word  of  Christ.  Undoubtedly,  when  these  men, 
well  acquainted  as  they  were  with  the  scriptures 


324  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

of  the  Old  Law,  especially  with  those  which  re- 
ferred to  the  Messias,  heard  the  cry  of  Christ, 
"My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?" 
they  were  involuntarily  reminded  of  the  above- 
mentioned  twenty-first  psalm,  of  which  those  words 
are  the  beginning.  And  if  they  had  been  of  a 
good  will,  even  to  the  slightest  extent,  they  would 
have  been  forced  to  admit  that  He  who  was  hang- 
ing on  the  cross,  was  truly  the  Messias.  For  He 
was  indeed  a  worm,  and  no  man;  those  who  saw 
Him  were  laughing  Him  to  scorn ;  His  tongue  was 
cleaving  to  the  roof  of  His  mouth ;  His  hands  and 
feet  were  pierced ;  all  His  bones  could  be  num- 
bered; His  garments  were  divided  among  the  sol- 
diers and  upon  His  vesture  they  had  cast  lots. 
Every  thing  was  just  as  the  prophet  had  foretold. 
But  they  would  not  hear  the  truth;  they  resisted 
the  truth,  and  they  were  greatly  vexed  at  the 
Crucified  One  for  daring  to  proclaim  the  truth  to 
them,  as  Christians  sometimes  are  when  from  the 
pulpit  they  hear  unpleasant  truths.  The  anger 
of  the  chief-priests  and  scribes  grew  as,  in  remem- 
bering this  psalm,  they  made  a  discovery  not  very 
flattering  to  themselves.  As  we  have  already 
stated,  they  clearly  understood  that  the  Crucified 
One  applied  the  psalm  to  Himself  and  thereby 
declared  Himself  to  be  the  Messias.  Therefore, 
they  necessarily  had  to  admit  that  they  were  the 
dogs  of  whom  it  is  said  in  the  psalm,  ''Many  dogs 
have  encompassed  me;  the  council  of  the  malig- 
nant hath  besieged  me."    ' 

It  is  proper  to  malice  and  impiety,  coupled  with 


THE  FOURTH  WORD  ON  THE  CllOSS  325 

hypocrisy,  to  find  a  way  out  of  embarrassment, 
when  attacked  or  discovered,  by  resorting  to  ridi- 
cule and  sneers.  Thus  the  high-priests  and  scribes 
misrepresented  the  words  of  the  Redeemer,  *'Eli, 
Eli"  or  "Eloi,  Eloi,"  i.e.,  "My  God,"  and  ex- 
claimed with  peals  of  laughter,  ''Behold,  he  calleth 
Elias."  And,  like  an  echo,  the  words  came  back 
from  the  soldiers,  ''Behold,  he  calleth  Elias." 

To  understand  the  cutting  sarcasm  contained 
in  these  words,  we  must  consider  that,  as  the  Tal- 
mudists  say,  the  Jews  venerated  Elias  as  the  jan- 
itor of  heaven  and  as  the  greatest  helper  in  need 
generally,  and  when  in  dire  straits,  they  were  wont 
to  invoke  him.  The  sense,  then,  of  the  words, 
"Behold,  he  calleth  Elias"  is,  now  finally  this  man 
is  coming  to  his  senses;  now  finally  he  acknowl- 
edges his  weakness  and  impotence ;  now  he  is  sur- 
rendering ;  now  finally  the  hypocrite  is  unmasked ; 
now,  undoubtedly,  there  will  be  an  end  to  his 
pompous  promises,  "This  day  thou  shalt  be  with 
me  in  paradise;"  now  he  would  be  glad  were 
Elias  to  open  to  him  the  gates  of  heaven  or  help 
him  down  from  the  cross. 

The  feelings,  lastly,  of  the  sorrowful  Mother 
and  of  the  friends  of  Christ  at  the  Saviour's  com- 
plaint and  at  the  jeers  following  it,  cannot  be  de- 
scribed. The  pitiful  cry  of  Christ  penetrated 
deeply  into  their  hearts.  Their  countenances,  al- 
ready pale,  became  paler  still,  and  floods  of  tears 
streamed  from  their  eyes. 

Let  us  bewail  with  the  sorrowful  Mother  the 
abandonment  of  her  beloved  Son.    But  we  should 


326  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

also  resolve  never  to  forsake  Him  by  mortal  sin 
and  thus  increase  His  suffering.  Let  us,  moreover, 
renew  our  sacred  oath  of  eternal  fealty  to  Him. 
If  we  find  ourselves  weak  and  tottering,  let  us  pray 
for  the  grace  of  Christ.  Let  us  pray  with  the 
disciples  who  went  to  Emmaus,  "Lord,  stay  with 
us  because  it  is  towards  evening. ' '  ^  Especially 
at  the  hour  of  death  shall  we  cry  from  our  inmost 
heart,  0  Jesus,  foi^ake  me  not!  0  Jesus,  reject 
me  not!  0  Jesus,  condemn  me  not!  Then, 
through  the  Redeemer's  goodness,  we  shall  be 
saved  from  the  eternal  abandonment  of  hell  and  be 
united  to  Him  in  heaven  forever. 

iSt.  Luke,  xxiv.,  29. 


CHAPTER  XXYII. 

THE    FIFTH    WORD    OF    CHRIST    ON    THE    CROSS 

"  Afterwards  Jesus  knowing  that 
all  things  were  now  accomplished, 
that  the  scripture  might  be  fulfilled, 
said:   I  thirst." 

(St.  John,  xix.,  28.) 

In  the  crucified,  as  in  tlie  case  of  all  seriously 
wounded,  the  great  loss  of  blood  produced  such 
an  extraordinary  inner  heat  that  they  felt  as 
though  consumed  by  fire.  The  thirst  arising  from 
this  immense  heat  was,  without  doubt,  the  greatest 
of  all  the  sufferings  which  these  unfortunates  had 
to  endure.  As  eye  and  ear  witnesses  relate,^  they 
would,  after  hanging  a  little  while  on  the  cross, 
complain  of  nothing  except  their  burning  thirst. 
They  seemed  dead  to  all  other  pain. 

This  historical  fact  puts  the  complaint  of  the 
Saviour,  '*I  thirst,"  in  its  proper  light.  After  a 
superficial  consideration  one  might  think  that 
Christ  was  complaining  of  a  pain  slight  and  unim- 
portant in  comparison  to  His  other  sufferings. 
And,  if  He  intended  to  speak  of  physical  anguish, 
one  would  rather  expect  a  complaint  of  the  pains  in 

1  Sepp  vi,  379.  Friedlieb,  Arehaeologie  der  Leidensges- 
chichte,  p.  155. 

327 


328  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

His  hands  and  feet  or  in  His  sacred  head.  But 
such  a  view  is  wrong.  As  the  Saviour  in  the 
preceding  sentence  gave  utterance  to  the  greatest  of 
all  the  sufferings  of  His  soul,  the  abandonment  by- 
God,  so  now  He  expresses  the  worst  bodily  pain 
which  He  experienced.  This  thirst  was  more  pain- 
ful than  the  scourging  or  the  crowning  with  thorns 
or  the  crucifixion  itself;  in  it  all  the  physical  suf- 
ferings reached  their  climax.  When,  therefore, 
the  Redeemer  complained  of  thirst.  He  included 
the  inner  fever  which  consumed  Him.  It  is  as  if 
He  said,  ''My  entire  body  is  being  consumed  by 
fire." 

That  through  this  torture  of  thirst  the  Re- 
deemer intended  to  atone  for  all  sins  of  intemper- 
ance and  of  the  taste  generally  goes  without  say- 
ing. Especially  did  He  have  in  view  the  sin  of 
our  first  parents.  This  sin  began  with  pride  and 
self -deification ;  therefore  did  He  undergo  the  tor- 
ture of  being  forsaken  by  God.  It  ended  with 
gluttony;  for  this  reason  He  completed  the  work 
of  satisfaction  by  suffering  the  torture  of  the  most 
painful  thirst  and  so  re-establishing  the  order 
which  had  been  disturbed.  Let  us  now  consider^ 
I.  The  reasons  for  uttering  this  complaint, 
XL     Its  circumstances  and  character  and 

III.  The  granting  of  the  petition  contained 
in  it. 

iSt.  John,  xix.,  28-30;   St.  Matthew,  xxvii.,  48,  49;  St. 
Mark,  xv.,  36;   St.  Luke,  xxiii.,  36. 


THE  FIFTH  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  329 

I. 

Until  now  Christ  had  not  complained  of  any 
bodily  pain.  The  reason  why  He  did  it  now  at 
the  end  of  His  life  is  given  us  by  Holy  Writ  itself. 
' '  Afterwards, ' '  says  St.  John,  ' '  Jesus  knowing  that 
all  things  were  now  accomplished,  that  the  Scrip- 
ture might  be  fulfilled,  said:  I  thirst."  Every- 
thing, then,  was  accomplished  that  the  prophets 
had  foretold;  one  thing  only  was  wanting:  that, 
in  His  thirst.  He  be  given  vinegar  to  drink.  In 
order  that  this  prophecy  also  might  be  accom- 
plished. He  revealed  His  thirst  to  the  torturers. 
Otherwise  they  might  not  have  thought  of  giving 
Him  vinegar.  Of  course,  we  know  that  the  dif- 
ferent mysteries  of  Christ's  Passion  were  not  ac- 
complished because  they  were  prophesied,  but  that 
rather  these  mysteries  were  themselves  the  causes 
of  the  prophecies.  For  these  things  which  hap- 
pened through  the  free  will  of  men,  just  because 
they  really  happened,  were  foreseen  by  Almighty 
God  from  all  eternity  and  were  foretold  by  the 
prophets  centuries  before  they  happened.  Now, 
as  it  was  written  in  the  Scriptures  that  Christ  was 
to  be  given  vinegar  to  drink,  St.  John  shows  us  the 
Saviour  as  if  in  anxiety  that  nothing  remain  un- 
done and  that  the  will  of  the  Heavenly  Father  be 
accomplished  even  to  the  minutest  detail.  Hang- 
ing, then,  on  the  wood  of  martyrdom,  plunged  in 
a  sea  of  bitterness  and  overwhelmed  with  pain, 
the  Saviour  attends  primarily  to  the  accomplish- 
ment of  God's  will.     That  God's  will  be  done,  is 


330  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

His  most  ardent  desire.  Therein  is  contained  a 
lesson  for  us;  how  we  should  strive  to  accomplish 
even  to  the  smallest  detail  the  will  of  God  revealed 
to  us  in  Holy  Writ.  But  how  many  Christians 
confine  their  efforts  to  that  which  is  absolutely 
necessary  and  which  is  prescribed  under  pain  of 
eternal  damnation !  How  rare  is  faithfulness  in 
little  things!  How  scarce  is  true  zeal  in  the  serv- 
ice of  God  at  every  moment  in  our  lives!  How 
truly  rare  it  is  in  sufferings.  The  slightest  ail- 
ments often  furnish  pretexts  for  neglecting  the 
most  serious  duties. 

Then  Christ  said,  *'I  thirst,'*  for  two  reasons 
which  had  also  impelled  Him  to  complain  of  his 
abandonment.  On  the  one  hand,  He  wished  to 
teach  the  Jews  and  us  that  He  suffered  bodily 
pains  in  reality  and  in  the  highest  degree,  and,  on 
the  other.  He  wished  to  draw  our  attention  to  the 
fires  of  hell.  For  if  the  inward  fire  that  consumed 
Him  could  draw  such  an  outcry  of  pain  from  the 
patient  Saviour,  who,  then,  would  dwell  with  ever- 
lasting burnings  ?  ^ 

The  last  reason  was  the  desire  of  the  sacred 
Heart  of  Jesus  to  suffer  even  more  for  us.  For 
He  knew  that  the  jeering  bystanders  would  offer 
Him  vinegar  as  a  refreshment  and  that  thus  His 
cry  would  bring  upon  Him  a  new  humiliation. 
This  fact  alone  proves  the  truth  of  what  the  Holy 
Fathers  say,  namely,  that  at  the  end  of  His  life, 
Christ  was  ready  to  undergo  even  more  sufferings, 
for  our  sake,  if  God  had  demanded  it. 

1  Is.,  xxxiii.,  14. 


THE  FIFTH  WORD  OX  THE  CROSS  331 

Thus  did  the  Redeemer  of  the  world  end  His 
life  in  the  most  perfect  manner ;  on  the  one  hand, 
as  we  have  seen,  with  an  act  of  the  greatest  self- 
humiliation  and,  on  the  other,  with  an  act  of  the 
most  heroic  charity.  For,  by  revealing  His  thirst 
after  He  already  had  reached  the  most  intense 
degree  of  pain.  He  brought  about  new  sufferings, 
and  thereby  showed  His  willingness  to  suffer  even 
more  for  the  glory  of  God  and  for  the  salvation 
of  our  souls.  We,  on  the  contrary,  are  glad  when 
pain  has  left  us.  To  offer  ourselves  to  God  for 
new  and  greater  afflictions  never  enters  our  mind. 
We  rather  study  how  to  shake  off  or  lighten  our 
present  cross  or  avoid  impending  sufferings. 

Let  us  now  consider  the  circumstances  and  the 
character  of  the  fifth  word. 

11. 

Three  circumstances  here  merit  our  attention. 
Christ  did,  indeed,  complain  of  bodily  sufferings, 
but  only  after  He  had  complained  of  sufferings 
of  the  soul.  Whilst,  therefore,  we  are  not  forbid- 
den to  complain  of  bodily  ills,  the  ills  of  our  souls 
should,  above  aU  and  in  the  first  place,  be  nearest 
to  our  heart,  especially  that  abandonment  by  God 
which  is  caused  by  mortal  sin.  There  are  Chris- 
tians, however,  who  are  never  aware  of  these  spir- 
itual ills  and  who,  therefore,  never  feel  the  need 
of  complaining  of  them,  not  even  to  those  who  are 
empowered  to  heal  the  wounds  of  the  soul. 

Christ  did,  indeed,  complain  of  His  bodily  ills, 
but  not  with  a  loud  voice,  as  He  did  in  His  aban- 


332  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

donment.  Thereby  we  are  taught  that  we  should 
never  loudly  complain  to  God  of  our  bodily  suf- 
ferings. It  would  be  improper,  as  these  sufferings, 
no  matter  how  grave  they  may  be,  are  capable  of 
producing,  with  God's  grace,  much  that  is  good 
and  salutary.  For,  with  the  help  of  grace,  they 
lead  sinners  to  conversion,  they  detach  the  heart 
from  earthly  things,  they  purify  the  just,  they 
offer  him  opportunities  of  gaining  much  merit,  and 
they  unite  him  most  intimately  with  the  Crucified 
One  Himself.  If,  however,  one  be  forsaken  by 
God  through  mortal  sin,  then  it  is  proper  to  loudly 
invoke  the  mercy  of  God. 

Christ  did,  indeed,  complain  of  bodily  ills,  but 
only  when  they  had  reached  the  greatest  intensity. 
I  am  certainly  not  in  favor  of  unreasonable  exag- 
geration in  this  matter,  nor  do  I  mean  to  say  that 
one  should  not  look  for  remedies  until  in  the  throes 
of  death.  Some,  even,  ought  to  be  advised  to  take 
more  care  of  their  health.  On  the  other  hand,  it 
is  wrong  to  fill  the  air  with  lamentations  at  every 
slight  indisposition,  especially  as  the  entire  ail- 
ment is  sometimes  merely  a  figment  of  the  imagina- 
tion. 

Two  qualities  of  Christ's  plaint  are  to  be  con- 
spicuously mentioned:  its  brevity  and  its  unas- 
suming tone.  The  plaint  consisted  of  only  one 
word:  ''Sitio,''  ''I  thirst."  This  is  all  Christ  has 
to  say  about  His  great  affliction.  How  unlike  the 
Redeemer  are  those  Christians  who  draw  the  most 
pitiful  descriptions  of  their  bodily  infirmities,  un- 
important as   they  sometimes  are,   and  who   can 


THE  FIFTH  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  333 

never  reach  the  end  when  they  have  once  begun 
their  story. 

Then  the  complaint  of  Christ  was  entirely  with- 
out presumption.  He  merely  states  what  He  suf- 
fers without  asking  for  anything.  He  left  it  to 
the  bystanders  to  determine  whether  and  how  His 
excruciating  thirst  was  to  be  quenched.  I  will 
not  affirm  here  that  the  sick  ought  to  be  prohibited 
from  asking  for  this  or  that  relief.  But  there  are 
sick  people  whose  demands,  in  this  particular,  go 
beyond  all  reasonable  bounds.  Now  they  want 
this,  then  that;  and  with  the  best  of  will,  one 
cannot  satisfy  them.  They  are  continually  in  a 
bad  humor,  stubborn  and  a  real  cross  for  all  who 
are  around  them.  Such  sick  persons  should  re- 
member Our  Divine  Saviour  who  patiently  took 
even  the  vinegar  which  was  offered  Him  in  ridi- 
cule to  quench  His  thirst.  The  saints  must  have 
thought  of  it,  for  they  rejoiced  on  their  sick  beds, 
when  they  met  with  forgetfulness  or  even  wilful 
neglect. 

Now,  what  kind  of  a  response  did  the  request 
contained  in  the  Saviour's  complaint  meet  with? 

III. 

After  Christ  had  spoken  the  word,  *^I  thirst,*' 
one  of  the  bystanders,  probably  a  soldier,  ran  for 
a  sponge,  filled  it  with  vinegar,  stuck  it  on  a  pole 
and,  assisted  by  several  others,  gave  Him  to  drink. 
At  crucifixions  the  Boman  soldiers  always  had  in 
readiness  a  vase  of  vinegar,  from  which  to  refill 
the  leather  bottles  from  which  they  drank,  and 


334  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

also  to  offer  to  the  crucified.  Sponges  were  like- 
wise at  hand  for  the  executioners  to  use  in  wash- 
ing off  their  blood-stained  arms  and  clothes. 

To  the  narrative  of  the  evangelists  St.  Matthew 
and  St.  Mark,  St.  John  adds  the  item  that  it  was 
a  rod  of  hyssop  to  which  the  sponge  was  attached. 
The  motive  of  St.  John  in  completing  the  report 
of  the  other  evangelists  by  this  detail  can  readily 
be  surmised.  In  times  gone  by  the  Israelites  were 
commanded  by  God  to  dip  a  bunch  of  hyssop  into 
the  blood  of  the  lamb  and  with  it  to  sprinkle  the 
sills  and  posts  of  their  doors  in  order  to  keep 
away  the  destroying  angel.^  When,  later  on, 
Moses  had  concluded  on  Mount  Sinai  the  covenant 
between  God  and  the  people,  he  used  for  sprink- 
ling the  altar  and  the  people  a  bunch  of  hyssop 
dipped  in  the  blood  of  the  immolated  calves.  Hys- 
sop was  also  to  be  used  in  preparing  the  waters 
of  purification  and  of  reconciliation.  Wherefore 
David  exclaimed,  *'Thou  shalt  sprinkle  me  with 
hyssop.  "2  Finally,  because  of  its  intrinsic  puri- 
fying virtue,  hyssop  was  used  to  heal  leprosy, 
which  is  a  type  of  sin.  Hyssop  was  therefore  hal- 
lowed by  religious  observance;  its  properties  ren- 
dered it  full  of  significance,  and  by  its  use  in  con- 
nection with  the  first  paschal  lamb  as  well  as  with 
the  making  of  the  Old  Testament,  it  had  acquired 
a  peculiar  relation  to  the  purifying  Blood  of  the 
Paschal  Lamb  of  the  New  Testament. 

When  the  soldiers  made  a  move  to  approach  the 

lExod,,  xii.,  22. 
2  Psalms,  1.,  9. 


THE  FIFTH  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  335 

Redeemer  with  the  sponge  attached  to  th€  reed, 
they  were  arrested  by  cries  of  "Halt!"  coming 
from  different  directions.  "Halt!"  they  cried, 
"Wait,  do  not  yet  give  Him  the  vinegar.  Let  us 
first  see  whether  Elias  will  come  to  refresh  and 
help  Him."  For  the  chief -priests  and  pharisees 
had  sneeringly  exclaimed,  "Behold,  he  calleth 
Elias."  Now,  although  the  pagan  soldiers  had 
not  heard  much  of  Elias,  the  helper  in  need,  still 
they  quickly  entered  into  the  spirit  of  the  insolent 
jest  of  the  Jews  and  joined  them  in  jeering  at  the 
expiring  Saviour.  But  the  soldier  did  not  waver 
in  his  purpose.  "Hold!"  he  cried,  adding  his 
cruel  jest  to  theirs,  "Let  me  give  Him  the  vine- 
gar and  prolong  His  life  until  Elias  arrives. 
Otherwise  He  might  perish  before  Elias  has  time 
to  put  in  an  appearance. ' '  ^  Elias  came  not,  and 
the  Redeemer  who  had  not  drunk  the  wine  mixed 
with  myrrh  offered  Him  to  diminish  His  pains, 
now  drank  the  vinegar  because  it  was  given  in  jest 
and  ridicule.  He  drank  because  He  wishes  to 
accomplish  the  last  prophecy  yet  to  be  fulfilled 
and  because  He,  the  Lord  of  life  and  death,  now 
wished  to  die. 

Ah,  indeed,  the  Son  of  God  had  not  deserved 
such  treatment  on  the  part  of  men.  That  they 
might  not  lack  wherewith  to  quench  their  thirst, 
He  had,  in  the  beginning  of  time,  created  the  riv- 
ers and  caused  to  spring  forth  from  the  earth's 
recesses  everywhere  the  clearness  of  many  waters. 
And  if,  notwithstanding,  water  sometimes  failed, 

1  See  note  18. 


336  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

He  was  ready  to  work  miracles  to  remove  the  eon- 
sequent  distress.  Ismael  thirsted,  and  He  showed 
Agar  a  fountain;  the  people  of  Israel  were  perish- 
ing with  thirst,  and  He  drew  from  the  rock  a 
refreshing  source;  He  gave  Moses  a  rod  to  make 
bitter  water  sweet.  When,  in  the  fulness  of  time, 
He  had  become  man  and  dwelt  among  men,  He 
proclaimed  to  all  who  were  thirsty,  ''If  any  man 
thirst,  let  him  come  to  me,  and  drink. ' '  ^  But  to 
Him,  the  bountiful  Creator,  His  chosen  people  re- 
fused even  the  smallest  drop.  They  stood  calmly 
by,  they  grinned  cruelly  at  the  scene  of  the  mockery. 
Truly,  the  vineyard  from  which  Christ  expected 
sweet  grapes  had  brought  forth  wild  ones.^  The 
Samaritan  woman  at  Jacob's  well  had,  in  truth, 
been  more  compassionate.  When  He  was  thirsty, 
she  did  not  refuse  Him  the  drink  of  water.  But 
if,  as  we  have  seen,  the  Lord's  bodily  thirst  was 
great,  the  thirst  of  His  soul  for  our  salvation  was 
still  much  greater.  He  was  therefore  more  anx- 
ious that  the  latter  thirst  be  quenched  than  that 
the  parched  mouth  and  the  withered  tongue  be 
again  moistened.  Christ  thirsts  for  our  souls,  He 
thirsts  for  our  conversion,  He  thirsts  for  our  good 
works.  He  thirsts  for  our  perfection.  Let  us 
quench  this  thirst  of  our  Redeemer  to  our  utmost 
power.  Let  us  sanctify  our  own  souls  and  lead 
other  souls  to  Him.  Then  His  Sacred  Heart  will 
be  to  us  a  fountain  of  water  springing  up  into  life 
everlasting.^ 

1  St.  John,  vii.,  37. 

2  Is.,  v.,  4. 

3  St.  John,  iv.,  14. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

THE    SIXTH    WORD    OF    CHRIST    ON    THE    CROSS 

*'  WTien  Jesus  therefore  had  taken 
the  vinegar,  he  said:  It  is  consum- 
mated/' (St.  John,  xix.,   30.) 

The  last  painful  moment  of  His  life  permitted 
the  Redeemer  to  express  what  He  could  no  longer 
say  after  death  had  paralyzed  His  tongue:  ''It  is 
consummated."  Solemnly,  before  heaven  and 
earth,  before  God  and  the  world,  the  dying  Re- 
deemer declares  that  the  mission  of  His  life 
has  been  fulfilled  and  that  everything  referring  to 
Him  and  promised  in  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old 
Law,  in  prophecies  and  prototypes,  has  been  ac- 
complished to  the  very  last. 

Inasmuch  as  these  prophecies  relate  to  the  his- 
tory of  the  Passion,  we  have  repeatedly  referred 
to  them  in  the  course  of  the  preceding  chapters. 
One  thing  more,  however,  was  promised  in  the 
books  of  the  Old  Testament,  the  accomplishment 
of  which  needs  a  special  exposition.  It  is  the 
main  and  central  point  in  the  whole  history  of 
the  Passion.  According  to  the  prophet  Isaias  ^ 
(liii.,  10)  through  the  future  Redeemer,  in  fact, 
through  His  death,  there  would  be  offered  to  God 

1  See  note  19. 

22  ^^^ 


338  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

a  real  and  the  most  valuable  sacrifice,  reconciling 
God  and  the  world.  This  was  the  hope  of  the 
human  race  languishing  in  the  slavery  of  Satan. 
And  now  this  hope  was  also  realized,  this  sacri- 
fice was  consummated.  As  the  fruit  of  this  pro- 
pitiatory sacrifice  of  Christ,  Isaias  mentions  an 
eternal,  spiritual  progeny,  i.  e.,  the  entire  multi- 
tude of  the  elect  whom  no  one  can  number. 

Let   us  now  bring   forward   the   arguments   to 
show  that  Christ's  death  on  the  cross  was 

I.     A  real  sacrifice  in  the  strictest  sense  of  the 
word  and 

II.    A  sacrifice  of  infinite  value. 


We  will  briefly  summarize  the  external  proofs 
of  the  truth  of  our  first  proposition.  That 
Christ's  death  on  the  cross  was  a  sacrifice  in  the 
strictest  sense  of  the  word  is  evident  from  the  fact 
that  the  main  object  of  the  bloody  sacrifices  of 
animals  in  the  Old  Law  was  to  typify  and  repre- 
sent the  giving  up  of  the  life  of  Jesus  in  a  violent 
death.  Now  the  bloody  sacrifices  of  animals  were 
real  sacrifices,  and  therefore  it  was  necessary  that 
Christ's  death  on  the  cross,  typified  by  them,  be 
a  real  sacrifice.  For  reality  cannot  be  less  true 
than  its  shadow,  nor  fulfilment  and  accomplish- 
ment than  their  tj^es  and  figures.  Then,  com- 
ing to  the  New  Testament,  we  find,  in  the  first 
place,  that  Our  Divine  Saviour  is  often  called  a 
Lamb.     ''Behold   the   lamb   of   God,    behold   him 


THE  SIXTH  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  339 

who  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world,"  writes  St. 
John  (i.,  29).  ''Christ,  our  pasch,  is  sacrificed," 
joyfully  exclaims  St.  Paul.'  "  You  were  re- 
deemed with  the  precious  blood  of  Christ,  as  of 
a  lamb  unspotted  and  undefiled,"  St.  Peter 
teaches  us.-  Now,  if  we  remember  that  in  the 
Old  Law  the  lamb  was  one  of  the  animals  most 
frequently  offered  in  sacrifice,  we  easily  under- 
stand that  the  writers  of  the  books  of  the  New 
Testament,  in  calling  Christ  a  lamb,  were  con- 
vinced that  He  offered  a  true  and  real  sacrifice. 
Furthermore,  what  they  merely  suggest  by  this 
comparison,  they  elsewhere  state  in  express  terms. 
St.  John  writes:  "Jesus  is  the  propitiation  for 
our  sins :  and  not  for  ours  only,  but  also  for  those 
of  the  whole  world.  "^  Paul  the  Apostle  repre- 
sents to  the  Ephesians  how  Christ  had  delivered 
Himself  as  an  oblation  and  a  sacrifice  to  God  for 
an  odor  of  sweetness.*  Finally,  the  doctrine  of 
Christ's  vicarious  and  propitiatory  sacrificial 
death  is  repeatedly  laid  down,  in  clear  and  most 
definite  terms,  in  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews. 
Christ  sacrificed  Himself  once  for  the  sins  of  the 
people.^  "Christ  was  offered  once  to  exhaust  the 
sins  of  many."  «  And  this  doctrine  of  Holy  Writ 
is  the  doctrine  of  the  Holy  Fathers,  the  doc- 
trine of  the  Catholic  Church  and  the  conviction 
II.  Cor.,  v.,  7. 

2  1.  Pet.,  i.,  19. 

3  I.  John,  ii.,  2. 

4  Eph.,  v.,  2. 

5  Hebr.,  vii.,  29. 

6  Ibid.,  ix.,  28. 


340  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

of  the  whole  Catholic  people.  ''What  sacrifice/' 
asks  St.  Leo/  'Svas  ever  holier  than  that  which 
the  true  High-Priest  laid  upon  the  Altar  of  the 
Cross  by  sacrificing  His  own  Body?"  And  joy- 
fully does  the  Church  sing  on  the  holy  eve  of 
Easter,  "O  wonderful  condescension  of  Thy  good- 
ness towards  us,  O  God!  O  inappreciable  favor 
of  Thy  Love!  In  order  to  redeem  the  servant, 
Thou  hast  delivered  the  Son." 

But  let  us  enter  more  deeply  into  the  subject  by 
showing  that  in  Christ's  death  on  the  Cross  every 
thing  is  found  which  belongs  to  a  real  sacrifice. 
For  this  purpose,  however,  it  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary first  to  define  the  idea  of  a  sacrifice  briefly 
but  thoroughly.  By  the  word  sacrifice  in  its  strict 
sense  we  understand  a  religious  act  by  which  a 
visible  gift  is  offered  to  God  and  destroyed  in  some 
way,  so  that  God  may  be  honored  and  worshiped. 
First,  then,  there  is  required  a  visible  gift,  some- 
thing that  is  material  and  tangible.  Sacrifices  of 
prayer,  of  self  denial  and  of  the  heart  are  sacri- 
fices only  in  a  figurative  and  free  sense  of  the 
word.  Secondly,  this  visible  gift  must  be  offered 
up.  For  the  sacrifice  does  not  consist  so  much  in 
the  visible  object  as  in  the  offering  of  it.  The 
sacrifice  is  not  the  object  in  itself,  but  an  act 
which,  of  course,  presupposes  a  sacrificial  gift. 
Then,  the  object  must  be  offered  directly  to  God. 
If,  for  the  love  of  God,  one  were  to  offer  to  a 
poor  man  a  lamb  or  a  loaf  of  bread,  it  would  be  an 

1  Sermo  13  de  Pass.  c.  3. 


THE  SIXTH  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  341 

alms  but,  properly  speaking,  not  a  sacrifice.  Then 
the  visible  gift  must  be  offered  to  God  by  being 
destroyed  in  some  way.  Thus,  in  the  Old  Law, 
animals  were  slain  and  burned,  incense  was  like- 
wise burned,  liquids  were  poured  out.  For  this  is 
the  only  possible  way  of  offering  them  directly 
to  God.  In  fact,  sacrificial  gifts  cannot  be  car- 
ried into  heaven  to  Him.  By  being  destroyed  or, 
at  least,  withdrawn  from  every  earthly  and  pro- 
fane use,  they  are,  as  it  were,  given  back  to  the 
Creator.  The  intrinsic  reason  however,  why  the 
offering  is  made  by  destruction,  entire  or  partial, 
is  contained  in  the  end  of  the  sacrificial  act, 
namely,  solemnly  to  acknowledge  God's  supreme 
dominion,  especially  to  worship  Him  and  to  sub- 
ject ourselves  entirely  to  Him  as  to  the  Lord  of 
life  and  death.  The  best  expression  of  this  inner 
disposition  would  indeed  be  to  offer  life  itself,  as 
was  done  in  the  death  of  Christ  on  the  Cross. 
But  according  to  a  Divine  ordinance,  man  has  no 
right  to  dispose  of  his  own  life.  Wherefore,  in 
ancient  times,  instead  of  life  itself,  such  objects, 
animate  and  inanimate,  were  offered  as  contrib- 
uted directly  to  the  sustenance  of  human  life  and 
which,  for  this  reason,  best  represented  the  sacri- 
fice of  human  life  itself. 

With  this  first  object  of  the  sacrificial  act, 
namely,  the  praise  and  worship  of  God,  is  inti- 
mately connected  the  intention  of  showing  Him 
our  gratitude  in  an  external  and  efficacious  man- 
ner, as  well  as  to  beg  of  Him  new  gifts  and  graces. 
After  the  fall  of  man,  the  sacrifices  assumed  very 


342  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

plainly  the  character  of  being  propitiatory.  To 
placate  God,  the  animal  of  sacrifice  must  surrender 
its  life  in  place  of  the  sinner  who  had  forfeited 
life  and  merited  death. 

The  right  and,  in  a  certain  sense,  the  duty  of 
offering  sacrifice  originally  belonged  to  all  upon 
whom  the  duty  of  external  religious  acts  was  in- 
cumbent, that  is,  to  the  individual,  to  the  family 
and  to  human  society.  Thus  Cain  and  Abel  of- 
fered sacrifice.  The  father  would  sacrifice  in  the 
name  of  the  family,  and,  in  the  name  of  a  com- 
munity, a  priest  appointed  for  that  purpose  by 
the  civil  authority.  Sacrifice,  however,  being  the 
most  sublime  and  most  perfect  act  of  religious 
worship,  was  soon  exclusively  reserved  for  pub- 
lic worship  held  in  common.  By  taking  part  in 
this  public  worship,  the  individual  perfectly  sat- 
isfied his  personal  obligation.  With  the  Jews 
especially,  Almighty  God,  as  it  were,  took  this  mat- 
ter into  His  own  hands.'  He  not  only  determined 
the  various  sacrificial  gifts,  but  He  also  appointed 
the  priests  who  had  to  offer  them  in  the  name  of 
the  people.  For,  if  a  man,  especally  a  sin- 
ful man,  wishes,  in  the  name  of  the  people,  to 
stand  as  an  agent  of  mediation  and  reconciliation 
between  God  and  sinners,  it  is  proper  that  he  be 
empowered  for  the  purpose  by  God  and  that,  at 
least  by  his  office  and  his  dignity,  he  be  segregated 
from  sinners  and  consecrated.  But  Avhen  the 
plenitude  of  time  arrived,  all  men  were  deprived 
forever  of  the  right  to  offer  sacrifice,  because  the 
Son  of  God  Himself  was  to  appear,  according  to 


THE  SIXTH  WOPxD  ON  THE  CROSS  343 

His  human  nature,  as  the  Priest  of  sacrifice,  as  the 
High-Priest  of  the  new  dispensation.  The  burn- 
ing of  incense  is  therefore  no  longer  a  sacrifice,  but 
merely  a  sacred  ceremony. 

Thus,  by  the  order  of  the  heavenly  Father,  the 
Lord  of  life  and  death,  Christ,  by  His  bloody 
death  on  the  cross,  freely  offered  to  God  His  hu- 
man life,  instead  of  ours,  to  honor  Him  and  to  pla- 
cate Him,  and  He  renews  this  sacrifice  in  an  un- 
bloody manner  at  every  holy  Mass.  Christ's 
death  on  the  cross  was  therefore  a  true  and  real 
sacrifice.  Ever^iihing  pertaining  to  the  essence  of 
a  sacrifice  was  there:  a  visible  gift,  namely,  the 
sacred  humanity  of  Jesus  Christ;  the  offering  of 
this  gift  by  a  High-Priest  appointed  by  God;  the 
destruction  of  this  gift  by  death  and  the  intention 
of  honoring  and  glorifying  God  through  this  same 
destruction. 

But,  one  might  ask,  did  not  the  executioners  put 
Christ  to  death  and  deprive  Him  of  life?  Ought 
not  therefore  the  executioners  to  be  considered 
the  sacrificing  priests  at  Christ's  death  on  the 
cross?  Such  a  conclusion  would  be  false.  It  is 
true,  the  executioners  inflicted  upon  the  Saviour 
tortures  which  naturally  could  but  bring  on  death, 
and,  in  consequence  of  these  tortures,  Christ 
finally  died.  However,  notwithstanding  these  tor- 
tures, even  had  they  been  a  thousand  times  greater 
or  had  they  lasted  thousands  of  years,  Christ 
would  not  have  died,  had  He  not  Himself  willed 
it.  Even  at  the  very  last  moment  of  the  Saviour's 
life,  it  lay  within  the  power  of  His  human  will, 


344  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

united  as  it  was  with  the  second  Person  of  the 
Godhead,  to  avoid  death  entirely.  Such  was  not 
the  case  with  the  holy  martyrs.  Joyfully,  indeed, 
and  exultingly,  their  will  in  complete  submission 
to  the  will  of  God,  did  these  heroes  approach 
death;  but  they  approached  an  inevitable  death, 
a  death  whose  coming  they  could  not  delay  for  a 
single  second  with  all  the  powers  of  their  will. 
Christ,  on  the  other  hand,  died  because  He  willed 
it  and  when  He  willed  it.  By  a  resolve  of  His 
own  human  will,  He  effected  the  separation  of 
soul  and  body,  inasmuch  as  with  perfect  freedom 
He  permitted  the  tortures  to  now  finally  produce 
their  fatal  effect.  In  this,  and  in  this  alone,  did 
the  sacrificial  act  of  Christ's  death  on  the  cross 
consist.  Christ  was  therefore  not  only  the  Vic- 
tim, but  also  the  sacrificing  Priest.  Far  from  be- 
ing sacrificing  priests,  the  executioners  rendered 
themselves  guilty  of  the  crime  of  deicide. 
Christ's  death  on  the  cross  is,  therefore,  a  real 
sacrifice.  It  differed  from  all  other  sacrifices,  not 
only  because  in  it,  as  the  only  genuine  sacrifice,  the 
First-Born  of  humanity  was  offered,  whilst  in  the 
others  animals  of  lower  rank  were  immolated  in 
the  stead  of  human  life,  but  also  because  it  was  a 
sacrifice  of  infinite  value. 

11. 

The  infinite  value  of  the  sacrifice  of  the  cross 
is  deduced  first  from  the  infinite  dignity  and  holi- 
ness of  Jesus  Clirist,  the  sacrificing  Priest,  and, 
secondly,  from  the  infinite  treasures  of  satisfaction 


THE  SIXTH  WOKD  ON  THE  CROSS  345 

and  merit  which  it  contains.     Let  us  explain  more 
fully  these  two  thoughts. 

The  value  of  a  sacrifice  depends  first  of  all  on 
the  value  of  the  sacrificial  gift.  Under  this  as- 
pect, a  sacrifice  of  one  thousand  lambs  would  have 
more  value  than  one  of  ten  lambs  under  perfectly 
similar  circumstances.  Now  the  most  valuable 
gift  ever  offered  to  God  was  the  body,  the  blood, 
the  life  of  the  God-Man.  This  gift  was  in  itself 
of  absolutely  infinite  value,  and  it  caused  the  sac- 
rifice of  the  cross  to  be  immeasurably  superior, 
in  intrinsic  value,  to  all  the  sacrifices  of  the  Old 
Law.  Nevertheless  the  infinite  value  of  Christ's 
sacrifice  is  owing  more  to  the  infinite  dignity  of 
the  Sacrificer  than  to  the  infinite  value  of  the 
gift.  Does  not,  in  every  day  life,  the  personality 
of  the  giver  add  to  the  gift  a  special  value?  In 
your  prayer-book  you  have  a  small,  insignificant 
picture.  It  is  torn  and  soiled.  And  still  it  is 
dear  to  you,  and  you  would  not  give  it  for  any 
price.  Why?  You  received  it  from  a  good  friend 
or  from  some  exalted  personage,  perhaps  the  Holy 
Father  gave  it  to  you  when,  prostrate  at  his  feet 
in  the  Holy  City,  you  implored  his  papal  blessing. 
Does  not  a  mother  take  more  pleasure  in  a  simple 
bouquet  given  to  her  on  her  namesday  by  a  good 
and  pious  child  than  in  a  more  pretentious  gift  of- 
fered by  a  wayward  son  ?  Thus  the  personality  of 
the  giver  can  impart  a  great  value  to  a  small  gift. 
That  is  why  the  infinite  dignity  and  holiness  of 
Christ  gave  to  His  sacrifice  an  infinite  value. 
This  is  so  true  that  if  Christ,  instead  of  offerincj 


346  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

Himself  to  God,  had  offered  only  a  lamb,  for  in- 
stance, the  sacrificial  act  of  Christ  would  have  had 
an  infinite  value  owing  to  the  personality  of  the 
sacrificing  Priest. 

The  sacrifice  of  the  Cross  is,  therefore,  the  great- 
est, holiest  and  most  valuable  act  which  was  ever 
performed  since  the  creation  of  the  world.  What- 
ever the  patriarchs  and  prophets,  the  confessors 
and  virgins,  the  martyrs  and  apostles,  all  the  saints 
and  even  the  Blessed  Virgin  did  that  was  good 
and  holy,  all  of  it  put  together,  being  finite,  can- 
not be  compared  with  the  value  of  the  sacrifice  of 
the  Cross. 

The  infinite  value  of  the  sacrifice  of  the  Cross 
is  derived,  secondly,  from  the  infinite  treasure  of 
satisfaction  and  merit  which  it  contains.  This 
treasure  is  so  infinitely  vast  that,  notwithstanding 
the  untold  wealth  distributed  therefrom  to  men 
for  centuries  and  daily  flowing  to  them  even  now, 
it  is  not  only  not  exhausted,  but  it  has  not  even 
been  diminished.  It  could  not  be  diminished  even 
if  there  were  a  million  times  more  human  be- 
ings, even  if  this  out-flowing  wealth  were  a  million 
times  greater,  and  if  the  world  were  to  last  for  all 
eternity. 

But  what  is  this  glorious  and  manifold  wealth, 
which  is  the  product  of  the  sacrifice  of  the  cross? 
It  can  be  divided  into  two  kinds,  viz.,  perfect  rec- 
onciliation and  perfect  restoration  to  grace.  In 
the  first  place,  Christ  has  satisfied  for  the  guilt 
of  sin.  By  His  sacrifice  He  has  rendered  to  His 
heavenly  Father  an  honor  infinitely  greater  than 


THE  SIXTH  WOKD  ON  THE  CKOSS  347 

that  which  was  withdrawn  from  Him  by  the  sins 
of  the  whole  world.     Then  He  also  more  than  plen- 
tifully atoned  for  the  penalties  of  sin.     To  pre- 
vail on  God  to  waive  His  right  of  punishing  us, 
He  took  upon  Himself  sufferings  of  infinite  aton- 
ing power.     But  Christ  merited  for  us  not  only 
the  remission  of  guilt  and  of  punishment,  He  also 
gained  for  us   a  perfect  restoration  to   grace,  a 
superabundance   of   life,   the   entrance   ''into  the 
Holies,''  as  the  Scripture  has  it.     To  the  redeem- 
ing death  of  Christ  we  owe  each  and  every  grace 
which  we  have  ever  received  from  God,  the  grace 
of  the  true  faith,  the  grace  of  prayer,  the  grace  of 
our  heart's  conversion,  the  grace  of  the  victory 
over  temptation,  and  from  it  alone  can  we  expect 
the  grace  of  final  perseverance.     From  each  one 
of  these  graces,  there  hangs,  as  it  were,  a  drop  of 
Christ's  precious  Blood  with  which  it  was  pur- 
chased.    But  not  only  did  Christ  merit  for  us  the 
plenitude  of  actual  graces,  but  He  also  merited 
sanctifying   grace,   the  infused  virtues,  the   gifts 
and  fruits  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  celestial  trans- 
figuration of  soul  and  body;  in  a  word,  all  the 
glories   of   grace   in   the  children   of   God,  which 
glories  are  indeed  hidden  here  below,  but,  in  the 
next  world,  shall  be  unfolded  in  most  wonderful 
splendor.     The    establishment    also    of    the    Holy 
Church  and  her  endowment  with  all  the  gifts  and 
means  of  salvation  are  fruits  grown  upon  the  tree 
of  the  Cross.     Wherefore,  in  holy  inspiration  and 
filled  with  joy  and  rapture,  the  Church  sings  in 
her  Passion  hymn: 


348  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

'*  Cross  of  faith,  among  all  others, 
Tree  most  precious,  Avondroiis  rare; 
None  e'er  yields  such  leaves,  such  flowers, 
Nor  such  fruit,  divinely  fair." 

Now  by  the  fruits  the  tree  is  known.  Therefore, 
from  the  infinite  satisfaction  and  merit  of  the 
sacrifice  of  the  Cross,  we  rightly  infer  its  infinite 
value.  It  remains  for  us  to  participate  in  the 
fruits  of  the  sacrifice  of  the  Cross  to  an  always  in- 
creasing extent  by  prayer,  by  good  works,  by  the 
reception  of  the  sacraments  and  by  assisting  at 
holy  Mass. 

The  sixth  word  of  Christ  on  the  cross  is,  then, 
full  of  meaning  when  taken  to  signify,  '  ^  The  sacri- 
fice is  consummated."  His  death  on  the  cross  was 
really  the  sacrifice  of  the  New  Law,  promised  by 
the  prophets  and  prefigured  by  the  sacrifice  of  the 
Old  Law;  it  was  a  sacrifice  of  infinite  value. 
Christ's  mission  in  life  was  noAV  fulfilled.  Justly, 
therefore,  and  as  if  in  holy  enthusiasm,  does  a 
celebrated  Father  of  the  Syrian  church  ^  cite  all  the 
prophets  to  appear  upon  Calvary,  there  to  gaze 
on  the  Messias  and  to  testify  before  the  entire 
world  that  their  prophecies  concerning  Him  have 
been  fulfilled  to  the  letter.  ''Approach,"  he  ex- 
claims, ''Isaias,  and  behold  the  Lamb  offered  to 
the  Divinity,  immolated,  suspended  on  the  cross 
and   covered   with   blood!     .     .     .     Zachary,   look 

1  Jacob  of  Sarug.  First  discourse  on  the  passion  of 
Jesus.  Translated  by  P.  Zingerle.  Theol.  Quartalschr. 
(1891)    p.  410. 


THE  SIXTH  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS  349 

upon  His  hands  and  see  the  wounds!  .  .  . 
David,  whose  son  He  is,  come  and  behold  Him  on 
Golgotha :  they  have  pierced  His  hands  and  driven 
nails  through  them,  they  have  given  Him  vine- 
gar." .  .  .  The  Redeemer  could  therefore 
confidently  close  His  eyes. 

Happy  the  Christian  who,  in  death,  can  say  with 
the  Saviour,  in  holy  joy  and  with  a  cheerful  heart, 
"It  is  consummated."  Consummated  is  the  work 
which  the  heavenly  Father  hath  given  me,  the 
sacrifice  of  mine  own  self  is  consummated.  Past 
are  now  the  days  of  labor,  the  days  of  tribulation 
and  of  temptation;  they  are  past  forever.  Past 
is  the  horrible,  dark  night  of  tempests,  and  lo !  I 
already  behold  the  dawn  of  the  eternal  day  of 
light  and  heavenly  brightness.  Nothing  now  re- 
mains but  to  receive  the  crown  of  justice. 

But  if  our  last  hour  were  to  come  to-day,  could 

we  say  with  as  much  confidence  as  the  Saviour, 

"It  is  consummated"?     Alas,  how  many  are  far 

behind  in  the  work  of  their   lives!     How  many 

have   not   even  begun   their   work!     How    many, 

after  having  begun,  have  again  folded  their  arms 

in  idleness !     It  were  terrible,  however,  if  in  such 

a  condition,  one  were  forced  by  approaching  death 

to  exclaim,  "It  is  consummated."     Consummated 

is  the  life   of  sin  and  vice!     Gone  are  now   all 

those    sweeping    pleasures,    those    vile    passions. 

Gone  now  is  boastful  wealth,  gone  is  the  vanity  of 

worldly  honor.     Past  are  now  the  hours  of  grace, 

the  hours  of  salvation  and  of  mercy.     Now  the 

hour  of  vengeance  is  striking.     Time  is  at  an  end, 


350  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

eternity  is  beginning,  eternity  with  its  everlasting 
pains. 

However,  the  Heart  of  Christ  is  good  and  full 
of  love.  The  Redeemer  still  gives  us  time  for  life, 
time  for  work  and  for  penance.  Let  us,  then, 
with  all  our  hearts,  deplore  our  past  neglect  in  the 
service  of  God  and,  with  redoubled  efforts,  strive 
to  retrieve  past  omissions.  Let  us  by  ceaseless 
work  redeem  lost  time  and  thus  make  haste  to 
enter  into  eternal  rest. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE  SEVENTH  WORD  OF  CHRIST  ON  THE  CROSS 

"  And  Jesus  crying  with  a  loud  voice, 
said:  Father,  into  thy  hands  I  com- 
mend my  spirit.  And  saying  this,  he 
gave  up  the  ghost." 

(St.   Luke,   xxiii.,  46.) 

All  things  which  Holy  Writ  had  predicted  re- 
garding the  life  and  Passion  of  the  Redeemer, 
were  fulfilled.  His  thirst  was  to  be  quenched  with 
vinegar.  As  soon  as  Christ  had  taken  the  vine- 
gar, He  said,  ''  It  is  consummated."  All  was  con- 
summated that  the  heavenly  Father  had  entrusted 
Him  with;  everything  that  was  demanded  by  Di- 
vine Justice,  everything  to  which  the  Redeemer's 
love  had  impelled  Him,  everything  necessary  or 
conducive  to  man's  salvation,  everything  was  now 
consummated.  Consummated  was  now  the  work 
of  the  bloody  Passion,  the  chalice  was  drained  to 
the  dregs,  and  whatever  evil  hell  and  the  world 
could  inflict  on  Christ,  was  now  overcome.  Con- 
summated was  now  the  Old  Testament  with  its 
onerous  laws  and  bloody  sacrifice  of  animals,  its 
prophecies  were  fulfilled,  its  figures  had  passed 
into  reality,  and  the  synagogue  now  came  to  an 
end.  ''It  is  consummated!"  This  sixth  word  of 
the  Redeemer  was  the  prayer  of  thanksgiving  in 
351 


352  IILSTOKY  OF  THE  PASSION 

the  evening  of  His  life,  the  message  of  joy  for  all 
the  elect,  the  announcement  of  victory  over  hell 
and  the  cry  of  triumph  at  the  moment  of  death. 
The  work  of  redemption,  the  sacrifice  of  the  New 
Law,  was  consummated.  Nothing  else  remained 
but  to  die.  Wherefore  the  Redeemer  cried  out 
with  a  loud  voice,  ''Father,  into  thy  hands  I  com- 
mend my  spirit. ' '     Let  us  consider  ^ 

I.     The  meaning  of  the  seventh  word  and 
II.     The  circumstances  of  its  utterance. 


In  the  last  moment  of  His  life  the  Redeemer 
thought  almost  exclusively  of  His  heavenly  Father 
and  of  His  own  soul.  In  the  seventh  word  He 
addresses  God  with  the  word  "Father."  This  was 
the  last  declaration  of  His  own  divinity.  During 
His  public  life,  He  had  often  and  in  various  ways 
declared  Himself  to  be  the  Son  of  God,  and  He 
had  worked  many  miracles  to  prove  the  truth  of 
His  declaration.  Before  Caiphas  He  had  main- 
tained this  same  declaration  although  He  foresaw 
all  the  tortures  it  would  cause  Him.  He  held  to 
this  declaration  until  death.  In  the  Crucified  Re- 
deemer we  must  therefore  adore  the  Son  of  God 
and  bend  our  knee  before  Him. 

He  furthermore  called  God  His  Father  to  show 
once  more  that  His  will  was  in  complete  subjec- 

iSt.  Matthew,  xxvii.,  50;  St.  Mark,  xv.,  37;  St.  Luke, 
xxiii.,  46;  St.  John,  xix.,  30. 


THE  SEVENTH  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS       353 

tion  to  the  will  of  the  Father  and  that  He  was 
obedient  nnto  death,  even  unto  the  death  of  the 
Cross.  The  word,  "Father,"  was  at  the  same 
time  the  expression  of  filial  love  and  of  strongest 
confidence.  It  was  not,  as  we  have  seen,  from 
diffidence  or  pusillanimity  that,  immediately  be- 
fore, He  had  not  called  upon  the  Father  as  such 
but  rather  had  exclaimed,  ' '  My  God,  my  God,  why 
hast  thou  forsaken  me?" 

Besides  the  Father,  His  soul  was  also  the  sub- 
ject of  Christ's  thoughts.  He  had  no  more  earthly 
goods  to  dispose  of.  His  garments  had  been  dis- 
tributed and  the  lot  cast  upon  His  vesture.  He 
had  early  provided  for  His  Blessed  Mother.  He 
gave  no  directions  as  to  the  place  and  manner  of 
His  burial;  that  He  left  to  others.  But  he  now 
recommended  His  soul  to  the  Father.  He  did  it 
for  a  threefold  purpose.  First,  this  recommenda- 
tion of  the  soul  was,  in  a  manner,  an  offering  of 
it.  He  had  already  shed  and  offered  His  blood, 
but  His  soul  was  still  His  own.  In  grateful  rec- 
ognition therefore,  of  all  natural  and  supernatural 
gifts  with  which  it  was  endowed.  He  laid  in 
the  hands  of  its  Creator  this  soul  which  was  the 
master-piece  of  Divine  Love  and  Power,  and 
He  offered  it  to  the  Father.  Secondly,  He  rec- 
ommended His  soul  to  God  in  order  that  God 
might  now  finally  free  it  from  its  sufferings 
and  thus  allow  it  to  enjoy  unmolested  all  the  de- 
lights and  pleasures  resulting  from  the  immediate 
vision    of    God.     Thirdly,    He    recommended   His 

23 


354  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

soul  to  the  Father  in  order  that  He  might,  as  it 
were,  take  it  in  charge  until  the  day  of  the  resur- 
rection. 

Strictly  speaking,  there  was  no  need  of  a  rec- 
ommendation on  the  part  of  Christ.  He  might 
have  appealed  to  the  innate  right  He  had  of  en- 
joying, free  from  every  suffering,  all  the  delights 
of  heaven,  of  being  preserved  from  bodily  corrup- 
tion and  of  speedily  rising  from  the  dead.  He 
might  also  have  reminded  the  Father  of  the  in- 
finite merits  of  His  life  and  passion.  But  the 
Saviour  was  humble  of  heart.  And,  to  give  us 
also  an  example,  He  used  the  language  of  humil- 
ity. 

Then  again,  the  seventh  word  is  very  histruc- 
tive  for  us.  We  may  learn  from  the  Redeemer 
the  right  manner  of  preparing  for  death.  One 
should  arrange  early  all  temporal  affairs  and 
whatever  concerns  his  family  and  relatives.  There 
should  be  no  unreasonable  anxiety  about  the  body 
and  its  burial  nor  about  the  grave  and  its  adorn- 
ment. For,  when  the  house  is  in  flames,  it  would 
be  foolish  to  worry  about  some  thread-bare  gar- 
ment and  to  forget  to  save  the  gold  and  the  jew- 
els. No  one  was  ever  less  attentive  to  these  mat- 
ters than  the  Redeemer.  But  no  tomb  ever  be- 
came more  glorious  than  His.  On  the  approach 
of  death  we  should  think  of  and  turn  to  Divine 
mercy  and  love.  To  this  mercy  should  we  recom- 
mend our  poor  souls  and  not  pay  attention  to  our 
merits.  For  whatever  good  we  have  done,  we 
owe  it  to  Divine  grace,  whilst  many  of  our  good 


THE  SEVENTH  WORD  ON  THE  CEOSS        355 

works  are  faulty  and  need  cleansing.  Such  hu- 
mility will  surely  crown  our  merits.  We  should 
commend  our  soul  into  the  hands  of  the  Father, 
into  those  hands  which  have  formed  us,  into  those 
hands  which  hold  our  destiny  and  from  which  no 
one  can  ever  snatch  our  souls. 

While  the  seventh  word  of  Christ  on  the  cross 
is  instructive,  it  is  also  very  coyisoling.  For, 
recommending  His  own  spirit  to  the  heavenly 
Father,  the  Saviour  recommended  all  those  who 
are  one  with  His  spirit.  ''But  he  who  is  joined 
to  the  Lord,  is  one  spirit,"  says  St.  Paul,^  i.  e., 
whoever  is  in  possession  of  sanctifying  grace  is 
one  spirit  with  Him.  Whilst,  therefore,  in  the 
last  hour  we  may  have  to  face  much  that  might  fill 
us  with  terror,  if  by  sanctifying  grace  we  are 
united  with  Christ,  we  may  confidently  close  our 
eyes  in  death.  For  by  more  than  eighteen  cen- 
turies a  recommendation  to  the  heavenly  Father 
has  preceded  us.  On  account  of  the  prayer  of 
Christ  in  which  with  His  spirit.  He  also  recom- 
mended ours  to  the  Father,  we  may  expect  a  mer- 
ciful reception. 

Let  us  now  direct  our  attention  to  the  circum- 
stances of  the  seventh  word, 

II. 

The  first  circumstance  meriting  our  consider- 
ation is  the  fact  that  Christ  spoke  this  word  with 
a  loud  voice.     It  is  unheard   of  in  history  that 

H.  Cor.,  vi.,  17. 


356  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

any  one  who  was  crncified  spoke  in  a  loud  voice 
just  before  death.  The  fearful  fever  which  made 
the  tongue  cleave  to  the  palate  prevented  it.  At 
most,  it  may  have  happened  that  a  person  dying 
on  the  cross,  uttered  a  loud  groan  or  sigh.  But  to 
distinctly  pronounce  an  entire  sentence  with  a 
loud  voice,  was  impossible  except  by  a  miracle. 
This  must  impel  us  the  more  to  examine  the  rea- 
sons why  Christ  worked  such  a  miracle. 

In  the  first  place  the  Redeemer  wished  to  show 
by  this  wonderful  demonstration  of  strength  that 
He  was  even  then  capable  of  removing  or  post- 
poning the  natural  effects  of  His  sufferings  and 
that,  as  St.  Augustine  says,^  He  died  not  from 
weakness  but  by  power.  ''To  die,''  fet.  Bernard 
therefore  says,^  ''means  great  weakness;  but  thus 
to  die,  means  immense  strength."  As,  then,  the 
word  itself  was  the  last  declaration  of  His  divin- 
ity, just  so,  as  the  pagan  centurion  acknowledged 
immediately  afterwards,  the  loud  voice  was  the 
last  miracle  in  confirmation  of  it. 

Then,  by  His  loud  cry,  Christ  manifested  the 
whole  natural  pain  felt  by  the  soul  when  it  must 
leave  the  body.  This  pain  was  especially  severe 
in  the  soul  of  Jesus  Christ.  How  hard  is  it  not 
to  take  leave  of  a  good  friend?  Now  the  soul 
of  Christ  saw  in  its  Sacred  Body  the  best  and 
most  lovable  friend  with  whom  it  had  been  most 
intimately  united  in  weal  and  woe  for  thirty-three 
years.    Besides,  this  body  had  assisted  the  Sav- 

1  Serm.  218,  c.  12.    Migne,  P.  L.  t.  xxxviii.,  col.  1087. 

2  Serm.  de  Pass.  Domini^  n.  4. 


THE  SEVENTH  WORD  ON  THE  CEOSS        357 

iour's  soul  with  the  utmost  self-sacrifice,  in  the 
work  of  Kedemption.  It  had  suffered  hunger  and 
thirst,  it  had  become  fatigued  through  the  labors 
and  heat  of  the  day.  It  had  been  cruelly 
scourged;  it  had  allowed  hands  and  feet  to  be 
pierced  and  the  head  to  be  crowned  with  thorns; 
it  had  given  all  its  blood;  it  had,  in  a  word,  borne 
the  expenses  of  Redemption.  Now  the  soul  of 
Christ  had  to  part  from  this  body,  and  therefore 
He  loudly  expressed  His  sorrow. 

The  parting  of  the  soul  from  the  body,  with 
which  it  has  been  intimately  united  for 'twenty, 
fifty  or  perhaps  seventy  years,  is  also  with  us  the 
saddest  event  of  all.  It  is  sadder  than  the  parting 
from  worldly  possessions,  sadder  than  the  separa- 
tion from  relatives,  especially  when  the  body  with 
its  five  senses  has  been  to  the  soul  only  a  com- 
panion in  sin  and  an  instrument  for  sin.  Indeed, 
to  be  forced  to  leave  such  a  body  which  has  been 
the  chief  source  of  enjoyment  for  the  sinner  and 
profligate  and  to  leave  it  with  the  prospect  of 
again  being  united  to  it  forever  in  the  flames  of 
hell,  has  thrown  many  a  soul  into  despair  and 
has  forced  from  many  a  dying  person  a  cry  of 
desperation. 

Through  the  loud  cry,  the  Redeemer  also  gave 
expression  to  another  sorrow.  Eis  death,  namely, 
was  our  spiritual  birth.  Whatever  the  sacred  hu- 
manity of  Christ  suffered  thereby,  was  to  be  made 
known  to  the  entire  world.  Rachel  of  yore  called 
the  son  whose  birth  caused  her  death,  "Benoni," 
that  is,  ''son  of  my  sorrow."     The  father,  how- 


358  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

ever,  called  him  Benjamin,  that  is,  ''son  of  my 
right  hand."  May  we,  whose  regeneration  cost 
the  Saviour  His  life,  be  also  recognized  by  our 
heavenly  Father  as  ''sons  of  His  right  hand,"  that 
is,  as  such  upon  whom  He  may  confidently  place 
His  right  hand,  as  if  for  support,  in  all  that  con- 
cerns His  greater  glory  and  the  salvation  of  souls. 

Furthermore,  Christ  cried  with  a  loud  voice  in 
order  to  encourage  death  to  approach  Him. 
Death  sat  at  the  foot  of  Calvary  and  steadily 
gazed  upon  the  three  crucified  ones.  He  dared 
not  approach  the  Redeemer.  For  he  well  knew 
that  lie  had  no  rightful  claim  on  Him  Who  was 
the  author  of  life  and  Who  had  not  sinned  in 
Adam.  Wherefore  the  Redeemer,  by  crying 
loudly,  enticed  him  to  approach,  and  death  was 
heedless  enough  to  heed  this  voice.  For  he  had 
no  idea  that  by  devouring  this  prey,  he  himself 
would  lose  his  life  and  find  his  death. 

Christ,  finally,  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  just  as 
the  lion  roars  when  going  forth  to  seize  his  prey. 
Now  the  moment  had  arrived  when  Christ,  al- 
ways so  hungry  for  immortal  souls,  was  to  go 
forth  from  Golgotha  to  satisfy  His  consuming  hun- 
ger. With  a  loud  voice  He  announced  to  the 
world  the  march  of  conquest  which  nothing  should 
withstand.  Therefore,  in  terror  and  in  joy  as 
well,  the  earth  quaked,  the  rocks  were  rent,  the 
graves  opened;  but  the  sun  appeared  in  its  full 
splendor.  This  cry  of  the  Redeemer  penetrated 
into  the  inmost  depths  of  the  earth.  It  was  the 
signal  of  redemption  to  the  souls  in  Limbo.     But 


THE  SEVENTH  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS        359 

to  the  fallen  spirits  it  was  a  clap  of  thunder  which, 
in  a  moment,  wrecked  all  their  plans. 

The  second  circumstance  of  the  seventh  word 
is  the  fact  that  it  was  the  last  word  of  the  dying 
Redeemer.  For,  after  saying  this  word,  or  rather 
whilst  saying  it,  He  bowed  His  head,  and  there- 
upon He  breathed  forth  His  soul.  The  bowing  of 
the  head  was,  therefore,  not  an  effect  of  death  al- 
ready present;  it  was  an  act  willed  with  full  de- 
liberation. It  must,  indeed,  have  a  deep  meaning. 
For  when  Christ  addressed  tiie  Father  at  the  last 
supper.  He  raised  His  eyes  to  heaven.  Why  then 
does  He  now  bow  His  head,  whilst  He  is  speaking 
to  the  Father  Who  is  in  heaven?  Although  the 
crown  of  thorns  may  have  prevented  Him  from 
raising  His  head,  why  did  He  not  keep  it  in  its 
former  position,  and  why  did  He  not  at  least  raise 
His  eyes  to  heaven? 

First,  the  bowing  of  the  head  was  the  expression 
of  His  humble  submission  to  the  will  of  the  Father. 
At  the  same  time  it  denoted  the  powerful  weight 
of  sin  burdening  His  shoulder  and  pressing  Him 
down.  Whoever  walks  along  laden  with  a  heavy 
burden  always  walks  with  a  bowed  head.  Then 
this  bowing  of  the  head  was  the  parting  salute  to 
His  beloved  mother,  to  St.  John,  to  the  pious 
women  and  to  the  thief  on  the  right.  Wherefore, 
according  to  tradition,  the  Saviour  did  not  bow 
directly  ahead  but  more  to  the  right  where  all 
these  saints  were.  Furthermore,  He  desired  to 
breathe  His  spirit  upon  those  to  whom  He  was 
now  about  to  descend  in  order  to  deliver  them 


360  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSIOX 

from  Limbo's  prison.  The  bow  of  the  head  was 
the  sign  of  reconciliation;  it  was  the  sign  that  He 
breathed  forth  His  spirit  for  the  salvation  of  the 
world  and  that  this  spirit  should  always  remain 
among  men.  Finally  He  bowed  His  head  as  if  to 
implore  a  blessing. 

After  Our  Divine  Saviour  had  bowed  His  head, 
he  gave  up  the  ghost.  Upon  the  cross  we  now  be- 
hold only  a  corpse  bleeding  from  many  wounds. 
But  the  divinity  dwells  in  it,  it  is  inseparably 
united  with  the  second  Person,  it  is  really  the 
corpse  of  the  Son  of  God.  The  soul,  also  insep- 
arably united  with  the  second  Person,  was  im- 
measurably happy  immediately  after  the  separa- 
tion from  the  body,  and  it  descended  into  Limbo. 
No  matter,  therefore,  how  much  we  are  entitled 
to  mourn  the  death  of  the  Saviour,  we  must  con- 
gratulate Him  also  with  all  our  hearts  for  such  a 
happy  death. 

The  Son  of  God,  then,  has  died.  Now  the  sin- 
ner may  breathe  easier.  It  must  indeed,  be  terri- 
ble, as  Holy  "^rit  says,  to  fall  into  the  hands  of 
the  living  God.  But  a  dying  God,  a  God  strug- 
gling with  death,  a  God  breathing  forth  His  soul, 
is  not  to  be  feared.  He  can  only  be  loved.  In 
presence,  then,  of  the  lifeless  body  of  the  God- 
Man,  let  this  be  our  resolve,  that  in  future  we 
shall  no  longer  walk  in  the  spirit  of  fear,  at  least 
not  of  servile  fear,  but  rather  in  the  spirit  of  love. 
Out  of  love  for  Him  Who  loved  us  until  death, 
let  us  deplore  our  sins  and  avoid  them  in  future. 


THE  SEVENTH  WORD  ON  THE  CROSS        361 

Out  of  love  to  Christ  crucified  let  us  strive  to  be- 
come like  to  Him.  Then,  in  death,  we  shall  also 
be  able  to  say  confidently,  ' '  Father,  into  thy  hands 
I  commend  my  spirit." 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE  SUFFERINGS  OF  CHRIST  ON  THE  CROSS 

"  O  all  ye  that  pass  by  the  way 
attend,  and  see  if  there  be  any  sor- 
row like  my  sorrow." 

(Lam.  i.,  12.) 

In  meditating  upon  the  seven  words,  we  have 
already  considered  various  great  sufferings  which 
the  Redeemer  had  to  undergo  during  the  three 
hours  that  he  hung  upon  the  Cross.  But  there 
remain  several  others  which  merit  our  attention. 
And  it  appears  meet  and  just,  as  well  as  useful 
and  salutary,  to  summarize  and  group  in  one 
chapter  all  the  sufferings  of  Our  Lord  on  the 
Cross,  in  order  to  obtain  as  faithful  a  picture  as 
possible  of  the  crucified  Redeemer.  If  the  garden 
of  Olives,  the  different  courts,  the  place  of  flagel- 
lation and  the  stations  of  the  way  of  the  cross  are 
sacred  spots,  then  surely  Mount  Calvary  ought  to 
be  for  us,  as  it  was  for  the  saints,  an'  abode  of 
predilection.  The  contemplation  of  the  Crucified 
Redeemer  ought  to  be  the  daily  bread,  the  conso- 
lation and  the  comfort  of  our  souls.  In  grouping 
the  various  sufferings  of  the  Crucified  Saviour,  we 
shall  but  briefly  mention  those  which  we  have  al- 
362 


THE  SUFFERINGS  ON  THE  CROSS  363 

ready  meditated  upon  in  detail.    Let  us  consider 
the  sufferings  of  the  crucified  Saviour 
I.     In  His  sacred  Body, 
II.     In  His  honor  and 
III.    In  His  soul. 


I. 

In  describing  the  sufferings  which  the  Crucified 
Saviour  was  called  upon  to  bear  in  His  sacred 
Body,  I  shall  appeal  less  to  the  imagination,  but 
I  shall  endeavor,  by  presenting  some  thoughts,  to 
convince  the  reason  that  the  bodily  sufferings  of 
the  Redeemer  must  have  been  immeasurably  great. 

Of  all  deaths,  that  by  crucifixion  was  held  by 
the  entire  ancient  world  to  be  the  most  painful 
and  the  most  cruel.  The  suspension  alone  from 
the  arms  stretched  upwards  for  such  a  long  time, 
was  intolerable  torture.  History  tells  of  certain 
English  martyrs  who,  for  the  purpose  of  making 
them  deny  the  faith,  were  suspended  from  beams 
by  means  of  ropes  attached  to  their  hands  and 
left  several  hours  dangling  between  heaven  and 
earth.  When  finally  the  ropes  were  cut,  they  fell 
to  the  ground  as  if  dead.  Now  Christ  was  not 
attached  to  the  cross  with  ropes  but  with  nails. 
These  nails  were  driven  through  the  hands  and 
feet,  just  where  many  sensitive  nerves  and  tendons 
meet.  Some  of  these  were  lacerated,  others  were 
violently  bruised.  It  is  true,  as  antiquarians 
show,  that  it  was  customary  at  crucifixions  to  fas- 
ten to  the  middle  of  the  cross  a  prop  upon  which 


364  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

the  main  weight  of  the  body  should  rest/  so  that 
the  hands  would  not  be  torn  through.  In  regard 
to  the  cross  of  Christ,  St.  Irenaeus^  and  the  holy- 
martyr  Justin  ^  mention  this  support  in  express 
terms.  But  there  was  no  trace  of  a  foot  rest  to 
act  as  a  support  from  below.  The  feet  of  Christ 
were  nailed  directly  to  the  main  beam  of  the 
cross.  The  main  weight  of  the  body,  therefore, 
bore  partly  on  the  pierced  feet  and  partly  on  the 
pierced  hands.  If  Christ  would  relieve  the  one, 
the  other  suffered  so  much  the  more.  Every 
move,  every  slight  tremor  brought  about  renewed 
pain  penetrating  to  the  very  marrow.  Owing  to 
the  wounded  and  terribly  swollen  hands  and  feet, 
and,  yet  more,  to  the  unnatural  lesion  and  tension 
of  all  the  muscles  caused  by  the  strained  posi- 
tion of  the  body,  the  circulation  of  the  blood 
through  the  heart  and  lungs  was  rendered  diffi- 
cult and  partly  impeded.  Thence  resulted  a  diffi- 
culty of  breathing  which  increased  to  a  sense  of 
suffocation  accompanied  by  a  sensation  of  fear 
and  spasmodic  contraction  of  the  heart.  Another 
result  was  that  the  blood  rushed  to  the  head  with 
increased  pressure,  abnormally  extending  the  ar- 
teries and  immensely  increasing  the  pains  in  the 
thorn-crowned  head.  And  as  the  body,  which  the 
scourging  had  entirely  covered  with  wounds, 
was  exposed  for  three  hours  to  the  fresh  and,  be- 

1  Hence  the  expression :   equitare  in  cruce. 

2  Adv.  haeres.  2,  24,  4. 

3  Adv.  Tryph.  91.    Migne  P.  G.  t.  vi.,  col.  693. 


THE  SUFFERINGS  ON  THE  CROSS     365 

cause  of  the  eclipse,  even  cold  air,  inflammation 
and  wound-fever  set  in,  so  that  the  sacred  body 
assumed  a  livid  color.  These  pains  reached  their 
climax  in  the  burning  and  steadily  increasing 
thirst. 

If  to  this  we  add  the  condition  of  exhaustion 
and  faintness  induced  by  the  preceding  sufferings 
of  Christ,  the  loss  of  blood  from  the  scourging 
and  the  crowning  with  thorns,  and  the  sensitive- 
ness of  His  sacred  body,  then  we  have  a  faint  idea 
of  the  bodily  sufferings  of  the  Crucified  One. 

There  are  Christians  who  deem  it  extremely 
difficult  to  love  God  with  a  perfect  love.  Ah, 
that  they  would  consider  the  Crucified  Saviour 
Who  might  have  saved  us  with  one  sigh  of  His 
Sacred  Heart,  but  Who,  out  of  love  for  us,  was 
willing  to  shed  all  His  blood !  Indeed,  it  is  im- 
possible devoutly  to  consider  the  sufferings  of 
Christ,  and  not  be  penetrated  with  a  perfect  love 
for  Him  and  a  perfect  contrition  for  our  sins.  It 
is  impossible  devoutly  to  consider  the  sufferings 
of  Christ  and  not  to  renounce,  out  of  love  for 
Him,  at  least  all  the  sinful  and  dangerous  pleas- 
ures of  this  world.  It  is  impossible  devoutly  to 
consider  the  sufferings  of  Christ  and  not  bear  pa- 
tiently and  even  joyfully  the  sufferings  of  this 
life.  *'For,"  as  St.  Bernard  says  beautifully,^ 
' '  the  wounds  of  Christ  are  on  the  one  hand  sources 
of  blood  to  teach  us  to  suffer  and,  on  the 
other  hand,  sources  of  fire  to  teach  us  to  love.'* 

1  Serm.  33,  in  Cant. 


366  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

May,  therefore,  the  picture  of  the  Redeemer  bleed- 
ing from  a  thousand  wounds  be  continually  pres- 
ent to  our  minds  and  impress  itself  deeply  upon 
our  souls. 

Let  us  consider,  secondly,  the  sufferings  of  the 
Crucified  One  in  His  honor. 

11. 

With  infinite  care  the  Holy  Ghost  once  had 
sanctified  the  virginal  body  which  was  destined  to 
clothe  the  Son  of  God  with  flesh  and  blood.  Noth- 
ing but  what  was  absolutely  pure  and  holy  might 
ever  touch  His  blood.  Now,  however,  at  the  death 
of  Christ,  this  blood  flowed  upon  a  soil  desecrated 
by  the  sins  of  men  and  sated,  in  the  lapse  of  cen- 
turies, with  their  blood.  Thus,  as  it  were,  did  the 
blood  of  the  IMost  Holy  One  mingle  with  the  blood 
of  sinners  and  become  one  substance  with  it, — an 
ignominy  for  the  Saviour  which  we  cannot  suffi- 
ciently take  to  heart.  But  thus  it  must  needs  be. 
For  the  blood  of  Christ  was  to  flow  for  the  sins 
of  the  world.  Such  was  His  last  will  and  testa- 
ment. It  must  mingle  with  sinful  blood  in  order 
to  purify  and  sanctify  it. 

Besides,  the  Redeemer  died  the  most  disgrace- 
ful and  most  shameful  of  all  deaths,  the  death 
of  the  Cross.  Among  the  Romans,  this  mode  of 
death  was  applied  only  to  the  most  abject  of 
criminals ;  to  those  who  were  considered  as  rejected 
by  the  gods;  to  those  whose  bodies  were  deemed 
unworthy  of  burial.     Never  was  it  permitted  to 


THE  SUFFERINGS  ON  THE  CROSS  367 

inflict  this  penalty  upon  a  free-born  Eoman. 
Then,  as  if  He  had  been  the  leader  and  chief  of 
a  band  of  robbers  and  murderers,  Christ  was 
crucified  between  two  incendiaries  and  homi- 
cidal robbers.  Furthermore,  He  was  deprived  of 
all  His  garments  except  the  loin-cloth.  And  all 
this  was  done,  not  secretly  nor  privately  in  an  en- 
closed prison  yard,  but  publicly,  in  open  daylight, 
on  a  hill,  before  the  whole  people  who  had  assem- 
bled to  celebrate  the  pasch. 

But  what  caused  the  greatest  dishonor  and 
shame  to  Christ,  were  the  blasphemies  and  jeers 
with  which  He  was  overwhelmed  while  hanging  on 
the  cross.  True,  he  had  been  forced  to  drink  of 
this  chalice  of  ignominy  on  former  occasions. 
But  it  was  here,  on  Golgotha's  heights,  that,  ac- 
cording to  the  Lamentations,  He  was  to  be  satiated 
with  ignominy.  Hence  the  evangelists  are  very 
explicit  in  the  description  of  these  scenes.  They 
not  only  mention  the  different  classes  of  people 
who  blasphemed  and  scoffed  at  the  Redeemer,  but 
they  also  give  the  very  words  of  derision  which 
were  spoken  against  Him. 

First,  as  we  have  already  seen  when  treating 
of  the  second  word  of  Christ,  it  was  the  thief  on 
the  left  who  opened  his  mouth  in  blasphemy. 
Then  it  was  the  passers-by,  that  is,  those  of  the 
people  who  came  and  went  or  happened  to  pass 
on  the  way  leading  by  Golgotha.^  In  vain  had 
the    prophet,    centuries    before,    appealed    to    the 

iSt.  Matthew,  xxvii,  39,  40;   St.  Mark,  xv.,  29,  30. 


368  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

passers-by  for  sympathy:  ^'0  aU  ye  that  pass  by 
the  way  attend,  and  see  if  there  be  any  sorrow  like 
to  my  sorrow."  They  blasphemed  Him,  says 
Holy  Writ,  they  critically  and  sarcastically 
wagged  their  heads,  and  distorting  the  words  of 
Christ  as  the  false  w^itnesses  had  done,  they  said, 
''Vah,  thou  that  destroyest  the  temple  of  God,  and 
in  three  days  dost  rebuild  it,  save  thy  own  self: 
if  thou  be  the  son  of  God,  come  down  from  the 
cross."  Thus  do  they  express  their  joy  that,  at 
last,  the  great  wonder-worker  is  unmasked  as  a 
boastful  deceiver.,  Does  not  this  last  word  of  the 
Jews  recall  exactly  the  one  which  Satan  once  spoke 
to  Christ,  "If  thou  be  the  son  of  God,  cast  thy- 
self down"?  Indeed,  here  we  have  the  key  to  the 
solution  of  the  otherwise  incomprehensible  mys- 
tery. These  blasphemies  were  no  longer  human ; 
they  were  diabolical.  Satan  had  put  them  upon 
the  tongues  of  the  passers-by.  During  all  the  pre- 
ceding sufferings  of  Christ,  Whom  he  held  to  be 
a  mere  man,  he  had  in  vain  tempted  Him  to  anger 
and  similar  sins.  Now,  in  his  despair,  he  again 
had  recourse  to  the  weapon  of  derision  and  con- 
tempt, but  Christ,  contemning  contempt,  remained 
on  the  cross. 

Many  Christians,  alas!  act  differently.  For 
years,  perhaps,  they  have  followed  the  way  of  vir- 
tue and  piety,  and  they  have  even  sacrificed  and 
suffered  a  vast  deal  for  their  holy  faith.  Then 
the  devil,  in  human  shape,  attacks  them  with  ridi- 
cule and  derision.     They  cannot  bear  it;  they  de- 


THE  SUFFERINGS  ON  THE  CROSS  369 

scend  from  the  cross  and  make  friends  with  their 
own  aggressors. 

Then  the  executioners  also  joined  in  the  taunts 
of  the  passers-by.  Whilst  they  offered  the  vine- 
gar to  the  Saviour  they  also  said,  as  St.  Luke  nar- 
rates (xxiii.,  36,  37),  "If  thou  be  the  king  of  the 
Jews,  save  thyself."  As  before  this  they  pierced 
Christ  with  sharp  nails,  so  now  they  pierce  Him 
with  sharp  tongues.  However,  among  all  those 
who  ridiculed  Christ,  they  were  the  least  guilty, 
for  they  knew  not  what  they  were  doing. 

The  grossest  insults,  finally,  were  heaped  upon 
Christ  by  the  chief-priests,  ancients,  scribes  and 
Pharisees.^  All  the  prominent  people  were  pres- 
ent on  Golgotha.  It  was  right  that  they  should 
be  there,  for  on  that  day  the  King  of  the  Jews  was 
to  take  possession  of  His  throne.  But  I  must  give 
utterance  to  my  surprise  that  the  chief -priests 
were  also  to  be  seen  on  Calvary  at  this  time.  For 
the  ninth  hour  was  fast  approaching  when  they 
were  to  begin  the  slaughter  of  the  paschal  lambs. 
And  still  they  remain  in  great  numbers  on  Gol- 
gotha. "Behold,"  they  shout,  "he  calleth  Elias." 
However,  for  the  time  being,  their  main  object  was 
to  celebrate  their  triumph  over  the  Crucified  One 
and,  therefore,  without  scruples  of  conscience,  they 
set  aside  their  entire  ceremonial.  What  a  won- 
derful dispensation  of  God  that  the  high-priests 
should  abandon  the  typical  paschal  lamb,  when  the 
true  Paschal  Lamb  was  bleeding  to  death. 

iSt,  Matthew,  xxvii.,  41-43;   St.  Mark,  xv.,  31,  32;   St. 
Luke,   xxiii.,   35. 
24 


370  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

The  language  which  the  chief-priests,  ancients, 
scribes  and  pharisees  used  on  this  occasion  was 
the  most  vulgar  both  as  to  form  and  as  to  mean- 
ing. They  did  not,  like  the  passers-by  address 
themselves  to  the  Hedeemer  personally.  To  show 
Him  their  contempt,  they  spoke  to  each  other  of 
Him  as  of  a  third  person,  of  the  man  hanging 
there  en  the  cross.  Without  looking  at  Him  they* 
pointed  their  fingers  at  Him  over  their  shoulders 
whilst  they  exclaimed,  ''He  saved  others;  himself 
he  cannot  save;  if  he  be  the  king  of  Israel,  let 
him  now  come  down  from  the  cross,  and  we  will 
believe  him.  He  trusted  in  God :  let  him  now  de- 
liver him  if  he  will  have  him ;  for  he  said :  I  am 
the  Son  of  God.'^  Their  first  words,  wo  may  note, 
were  almost  the  same  blasphemies  as  those  uttered 
by  the  passers-by:  *'He  saved  others,  let  him 
save  himself."  A  strange  conclusion  indeed!  If 
He  has  helped  others  to  any  extent.  He  deserves 
better  treatment  now.  To  encourage  the  Ee- 
deemer,  however,  to  descend  from  the  cross,  they 
sneeringly  add  the  promise,  "And  we  will  believe 
him."  What  wretched  hypocrisy  and  lying! 
The  Redeemer  had,  before  their  very  eyes,  per- 
formed greater  miracles  than  the  one  which  they 
were  now  presumptuously  demanding;  only  very 
recently  He  had  raised  Lazarus  from  the  dead, 
and  still  they  would  not  believe  Him.  Two  days 
afterwards,  when  Christ  worked  the  greatest  of  all 
miracles  by  rising  from  the  grave  through  His 
own  power,  they  remained  as  obdurate  as  ever. 
But  now  they  will  believe,  if  He  descends  from 


THE  SUFFERINGS  ON  THE  CROSS     371 

the  cross.  *'Know  ye,"  asks  one  interpreter, 
**what  these  men  would  have  done  if  Christ  had 
acceded  to  their  demands?  They  all  together 
would  have  fallen  upon  Him  and  beaten  Him  to 
death  with  their  fists."  In  the  last  words  which 
they  spoke,  ''He  trusted  in  God:  let  him  now  de- 
liver him  if  he  will  have  him,"  they  blasphemed 
the  mystery  of  the  cross,  inasmuch  as  they,  like 
the  friends  of  Job,  designate  the  cross  as  the  sign 
of  God's  anger  and  curse.  This  derision  of  the 
instrument  of  our  salvation  contained  a  protest 
against  the  work  of  redemption.  But  thus  it  was 
to  be.  For  David  (Ps.  xxi.,  9)  had  predicted  that 
the  Redeemer  would  be  ridiculed  by  those  very 
words.  Wherefore,  without  either  willing  or  sus- 
pecting it,  the  chief-priests,  by  their  blasphemies, 
gave  testimony  to  the  Messianic  dignity  of  the 
Crucified. 

The  shouts  of  the  chief-priests,  of  the  scribes 
and  of  the  pharisees  still  resound  in  our  own  days. 
"If  he  be  the  King  of  Israel,  let  him  come  down 
from  the  cross  and  we  will  believe  him,"  is  pecu- 
liarly the  language  of  modern  unbelief.  The  Di- 
vinity of  Jesus  Christ  has  been  proven  by  thou- 
sands of  miracles,  and  the  divine  establishment  of 
the  Catholic  Church  emits  a  radiance  brighter 
than  that  of  the  sun.  Still  proud  unbelief  will  not 
submit;  it  keeps  on  clamoring  for  new  miracles, 
for  new  proofs.  But  take  off  its  mask,  and  you 
will  find  it  full  of  lies  and  of  hypocrisy.  Unbe- 
lief cares  nothing  for  truth.  On  principle  it  will 
not  acknowledge  as  God  One  Who  was  crucified. 


372  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

The  sermon  of  the  cross  is  to  it  foolishness  and 
a  scandal.  And  the  language  of  unbelief  is  also 
the  language  of  immorality.  There  might  per- 
haps be  no  objection  to  believing  in  Christ,  if  only 
He  would  descend  from  the  cross,  if  only  He  would 
cease  to  preach,  from  this  pulpit,  the  crucifixion  of 
the  flesh  and  of  vicious  inclinations.  It  is,  too, 
in  a  certain  sense,  the  language  of  sloth  and  of 
half-heartedness.  One  would,  with  pleasure  even, 
tread  the  path  of  virtue  and  of  perfection  if  only 
Christ  would  descend  from  the  cross,  that  is,  if 
the  practice  of  virtue  were  possible  without  con- 
tinued mortification  and  self-denial. 

The  prediction  of  the  prophet  Jeremias,  ''I  am 
made  a  derision  to  all  my  people,  their  song  all 
the  day  long,"  was,  then,  fulfilled.  At  such  de- 
rision David  would  have  exclaimed,  in  sorrow, 
*  *  Neither  let  my  enemies  laugh  at  me, ' '  ^  and  Job 
would  have  cursed  the  day  of  his  birth.  But 
Christ's  sole  answer  to  ridicule  and  blasphemy  was 
silence  and  constant  perseverance  on  the  cross. 
By  this  He  proved  Himself  to  be  the  true  Messias, 
the  true  Son  of  God,  of  Whom  it  had  been  fore- 
told that  He  would  die  on  the  cross.  *'It  was  a 
greater  deed,"  says  St.  Gregory  the  Great,^  ''to 
destroy  death  through  the  Resurrection  than  to 
preserve  life  by  descending  from  the  Cross." 

Let  us  yet  consider  the  sufferings  of  the  Cru- 
cified One  in  His  soul. 

1  Ps.,  xxiv.,  3. 

2  Horn.  21,  in  Evang.  c.  7. 


THE  SUFFERINGS  ON  THE  CROSS  373 


III. 

The  first  suffering  of  Christ's  soul  arose  from 
beholding  a  scene  the  possibility  of  which  would 
be  incredible  were  the  fact  not  substantiated  by 
Holy   Writ   itself.^     According   to   Roman   usage, 
the  clothes  and  other  belongings  of  the  executed 
became  the  property  of  the  soldiers;  it  was  their 
fee.     They  had  hardly  erected  the  cross  when  they 
fell  upon  the  belongings  of  the  Saviour.     There 
were  four  soldiers,  as  we  have  already  seen;  four 
formed  a  detachment.     They  ripped  the  seams  of 
those  garments  the  parts  of  which  were  sewn  to- 
gether, as,  for  instance,  the  mantle,  and  each  sol- 
dier received  a  fourth  part.     With  the  garment 
proper,  however,  of  the  Saviour,  they  could  not 
well    do    this,    for    it    was    seamless    and    woven 
throughout  from  the  top.     St.  Bonaventure  relates 
that  the  Mother  of  Jesus  had  woven  it  with  her 
own    hands    for   her    Divine    Child,    and    it   had 
grown  with  Him  just  as  the  garments  of  the  Israel- 
ites had  grown  with  them  in  their  passage  through 
the  desert.-     Had,  then,  the  woven  raiment  been 
cut,  it  would  have  become  entirely  unwoven  and 
the  pieces  would  have  been  useless.     They  there- 
fore said,  ''Let  us  not  cut  it,  but  let  us  cast  lots 
for  it,  whose  it  shall  be."     They  did  so.     Roman 
soldiers  always  had  dice  about  them  with  which 
to  beguile  the  time  during  idle  hours.     Thus,  at 

1  St.  Matthew,  ^xvii.   35;    St  Mark,  xv.,  24;    St.  Luke, 
xxiii.,  34;  St.  John,  xix.,  23,  24. 
2Deut.,  viii.,  4;  xxix.,  5. 


374  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

the  foot  of  the  cross  upon  which  the  God-Man 
was  bleeding  for  the  salvation  of  the  world,  and 
under  His  very  eyes,  the  rattling  dice  were  shaken 
around  the  circle.  With  vile  shouts  the  losers  ac- 
claimed the  winner.  Then  they  settled  down  to 
their  task  of  watching  Christ  and  of  preventing 
His  being  taken  down. 

As  far  as  the  transaction  itself  was  concerned, 
everything  went  on  smoothly  and  peaceably 
enough.  Whatever  could  be  divided,  was  divided; 
for  that  which  could  not  be  divided,  they  cast 
lots  and  they  were  all  satisfied.  There  are  times 
when  things  go  differently  in  Christian  families. 
Matters  of  inheritance  are  at  times  the  occasion 
of  most  serious  quarrels  and  of  life-long  enmities 
between  brothers  and  sisters.  The  seamless  gar- 
ment of  Christ,  holy  charity,  which  ought  to  be 
held  sacred  among  Christians,  is  thereby  rent 
asunder,  torn  and  trampled  in  the  mire. 

The  executioners,  however,  did  not  long  remain 
in  possession  of  the  Redeemer's  garments.  For 
the  Roman  law  which  appropriated  to  them  the 
garments  of  the  executed,  also  empowered  friends 
and  relatives  to  purchase  them  from  the  execution- 
ers for  a  fair  sum  of  money.  Thus  there  ensued 
between  the  pious  women  and  the  two  rich  and 
good  men  who  soon  afterwards  came  to  Calvary, 
a  holy  rivalry  to  redeem,  at  any  price,  the  pre- 
cious relics,  and  they  were  restored  to  the  sor- 
rowful Mother,  who  thereby  was  greatly  consoled. 

The  second  sorrow  of  Christ's  soul  arose  from 
His  complete  abandonment  by  heaven  and  earth. 


THE  SUFFERINGS  ON  THE  CROSS  375 

And  first,  the  lack  of  sympathy  on  the  part  of 
the  people  saddened  Him.  A  few  days  before, 
when  He  made  His  solemn  entry  into  Jerusalem, 
they  had  acclaimed  Him  with  Hosannas: 
''Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord."  Now,  when  He  is  in  distress,  now,  when 
He  is  dying,  they  show  no  sign  of  compassion. 
They  "stood  beholding,"  says  the  Gospel.^  And 
yet,  among  these  people,  there  were  so  many  whom 
the  Saviour  had  loaded  with  benefits. 

Christ,  moreover,  saw  Himself  forsaken  by 
almost  all  his  friends.  It  is  true  that  Mary,  His 
Blessed  Mother,  stood  beneath  the  Cross,  but  the 
sight  merely  increased  the  pangs  of  His  soul. 
But  of  the  apostles,  with  the  exception  of  St. 
John,  all  had  left  Him,  all  had  made  themselves 
invisible.  One  other,  forsooth,  who  had  belonged 
to  the  twelve,  Christ  could  behold  from  the  cross 
by  turning  His  head  to  the  left.  It  was  unhappy 
Judas  who  had  hanged  himself  on  the  declivity  of 
the  hill,  and  who  was  now  burning  in  hell. 

In  His  dereliction  by  men,  the  dying  Redeemer 
raised  His  head  to  heaven  and  turned  towards 
God.  But  heaven  remained  closed.  No  voice  of 
approval  was  heard  as  when,  in  days  gone  by.  He 
had  humbled  Himself  before  John.  No  angel 
came  to  serve  Him  as  in  the  desert,  after  He  had 
fasted  forty  days.  Not  even  did  an  angel  come 
to  comfort  Him  as  on  the  evening  before  in  the 
Garden  of  Olives.     This  urged  Christ  to  complain, 

1  St.  Luke,  xxiii.,  35. 


376  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

*'My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?'* 
So  much  the  more  intense,  therefore,  was  the 
third  sorrow  of  Christ's  soul  at  the  thought  of  the 
partial  friutlessness  of  His  Passion.  He  had  now 
been  hanging  three  hours  upon  the  cross  whence  He 
hoped  to  draw  all  things  to  Himself.  The  awful 
darkness  should  indeed  have  been  sufficient  to  en- 
lighten souls  and  to  kindle  hearts.  But  with  the 
exception  of  the  thief's  conversion,  the  Redeemer 
saw  no  special  effects.  And  when  He  looked  into 
the  future.  He  recognized  that  His  blood  was 
being  shed  in  vain  for  millions  of  people  and  that, 
notwithstanding  all  His  sufferings,  millions  of 
men  would  be  eternally  damned. 

Now  the  measure  of  sufferings  was  full.  Now 
the  Redeemer  could  say,  ^'It  is  consummated. 
Father,  into  thy  hands  I  commend  my  spirit." 
Thereupon  He  bowed  His  head  and  died. 

At  the  cross  her  station  keeping, 
Stood  the  mournful  Mother  weeping, 
Close  to  Jesus  to  the  last. 

'*No  tongue  shall  ever  be  able  to  express,"  says 
St.  Bernard,^  ''nor  shall  any  mind  ever  be  able  to 
imagine  what  sorrow  the  loving  heart  of  Mary  en- 
dured at  this  moment.  Now,  O  Virgin,  on  Gol- 
gotha thou  art  paying  with  interest  what  thou 
didst  not  experience  in  Bethlehem."  *'The  pains 
which  she  did  not  endure  at  His  birth,"  says  St. 

1  In  Lament.  B.  Marise.  Migne  P.  L.  t.  clxxxii.,  col. 
1137. 


THE  SUFFERINGS  ON  THE  CROSS  377 

John  Damascene/  ''she  endured  at  the  time  of 
His  death  when  she  had  to  see  that  He  Whom  she 
even  then  had  recognized  as  God,  was  now  being 
put  to  death  as  a  criminal. ' ' 

Through  her  heart,  His  sorrow  sharing. 
All  His  bitter  anguish  bearing, 
Now  at  length  the  sword  had  passed. 

0  Christian  soul!  we  have  already  read  the  law 
which  God  had  once  given  to  the  people  of  Israel. 
*'When  there  shall  be  found  in  the  land  the  corpse 
of  a  man  slain,  and  it  is  not  known  who  is  guilty 
of  the  murder,  the  ancients  of  the  (nearest)  city 
shall  come  to  the  person  slain,  and  shall  wash  their 
hands  .  .  .  and  shall  say:  Our  hands  did  not 
shed  this  blood,  nor  did  our  eyes  see  it.  And  the 
guilt  of  blood  shall  be  taken  from  them. ' '  -  See ! 
Before  our  eyes  there  hangs  the  corpse  of  One  slain 
on  the  Cross.  Whoever  among  us  knows  himself 
innocent  of  the  blood  of  this  Just  One,  let  him 
approach,  let  him  lay  his  right  hand  on  the  wood 
of  the  Cross^  and  let  him  testify  before  heaven  and 
earth,  **My  hands  have  not  shed  this  blood,  and  I 
am  innocent  of  the  blood  of  this  Just  One.''  Ah, 
No!  0  sweet  Saviour  Jesus  Christ!  Penetrated 
with  the  sorrow  of  contrition,  we  shall  rather  con- 
fess that  our  sins  have  been  the  cause  of  Thy  bit- 
ter Passion,  that  our  sins  have  killed  Thee.  May 
Thy  precious  Blood  be  not  lost  upon  us.  Cleanse 
us  with  it,  and,  by  Thy  bitter  death,  grant  us  a 
happy  death. 

1  De  fid.  orthod.  lib.  4,  c.  14. 

2  Deut.,  ^i.,  1,  6-8. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

WONDERFUL  EVENTS  BEFORE  AND  AT   THE  DEATH   OF 
CHRIST 

"  Now  from  the  sixth  hour  there 
was  darkness  over  the  whole  earth, 
until  the  ninth  hour. —  And  behold 
the  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent  in  two 
from  the  top  even  to  the  bottom, 
and  the  earth  quaked,  and  the  rocks 
were  rent.  And  the  graves  were 
opened:  and  many  bodies  of  the 
saints  that  had  slept,  arose. 

(St.  Matthew,  xxvii.,  45,  51,  52.) 

The  great  drama  enacted  on  the  first  Maundy- 
Thursday  and  Good  Friday  in  Jerusalem  and  in 
its  vicinity,  is  gradually  approaching  its  end.  As 
we  have  considered  in  our  meditations,  both 
heaven  and  earth  followed  the  destinies  of  the 
Divine  Sufferer  with  close,  yea,  with  strained  at- 
tention, each,  however,  in  a  different  way.  The 
passers-by  suspiciously  wagged  their  heads.  The 
executioners  and  the  thief  to  the  left  ridiculed 
Him.  The  pharisees,  scribes  and  chief-priests  re- 
joiced in  His  downfall.  Pilate,  in  the  beginning, 
hesitated  to  pronounce  the  death-sentence  and 
finally  washed  his  hands  as  a  sign  of  innocence. 
Herod  and  his  wife,  the  adulteress,  laughed.  The 
378 


EVENTS  AT  THE  DEATH  OF  CHKIST  379 

apostles  fled  in  terror,  they  could  not  bear  the 
sight.  Proeula,  the  wife  of  Pilate,  was  so  deeply 
moved  and  agitated,  that  she  dreamed  of  the 
tragedy.  Veronica  and  other  pious  women  shed 
tears  of  compassion.  Simon  of  Cyrene  felt  him- 
self happy  to  have  become,  without  his  own  merit, 
an  actor  in  the  great  event.  Dismas  loudly  pro- 
claimed the  innocence  of  Christ.  Even  an  angel 
appeared  on  the  scene  to  inspire  the  Divine  Suf- 
ferer with  courage  in  the  performance  of  His 
awful  role.  Mary,  the  Mother  of  Jesus,  John  and 
Magdalene  stood  at  the  side  of  the  Saviour,  con- 
soling Him  in  His  last  moments.  Lastly,  the 
heavenly  Father  received  into  His  hands  the  soul 
of  His  dying  Son.  But,  we  have  reason  to  ask, 
shall  nature  remain  indifferent  and  look  coldly  on, 
whilst  her  Creator  and  Lord  is  struggling  with 
death  and  whilst  the  Innnortal  One  is  breathing 
forth  His  soul  in  nameless  tortures?  Certainly 
not.  The  sun  became  darkened,  the  veil  of  the 
temple  was  torn  in  two,  the  earth  trembled  and 
quaked,  the  rocks  were  rent  and  the  graves  opened. 

Let  us  then  consider  ^ 
I.     These  wonderful  events  in  themselves; 

II.     The  different  effects  they  produced  upon 
men. 


These  wonderful  events  occurred  in  part  before 
the  death  of  Christ  and  in  part  at  His  death. 

iSt.  Matthew,  xxvii.,  45,  51-54;  St.  Luke,  xxiii.,  44-48. 


380  H18T0EY  OF  THE  PASSION 

Before  the  death  of  Christ,  there  occurred  a 
total  eclipse  of  the  sun  lasting  three  hours.  This 
fact  is  historically  so  well  substantiated  that  there 
can  be  no  doubt  about  it.  Three  evangelists 
testify  to  it.  The  evangelists  St.  Matthew  and 
St.  Mark  write:  '*From  the  sixth  hour  there  was 
darkness  over  the  whole  earth,  until  the  ninth 
hour. ' '  St.  Luke  writes :  * '  the  sun  was  darkened. ' ' 
If  a  historian  or  a  newspaper  correspondent  wishes 
purposely  to  spread  some  lie  broadcast  over  the 
world,  he  will  select  imaginary  events  which, 
owing  to  their  very  nature,  do  not  happen  in 
public,  or  at  least  such  as  are  alleged  to  have 
happened  in  some  remote  corner  of  the  earth. 
But  to  report,  for  instance,  that  some  years  ago 
an  extraordinary  eclipse  of  the  sun  happened  in 
this  town,  when  every  body  knows  it  to  be  untrue, 
would  not  occur  to  any  one. 

This  eclipse  of  the  sun  ^  was,  however,  not  a 
natural  one.  It  was  miraculous  in  every  respect 
and  that  for  three  reasons.  First  it  occurred  at 
the  time  of  the  full  moon.  For  this  Friday  was 
the  day  when,  according  to  the  Law,  the  Pasch 
should  be  celebrated,  and  this  feast  always  oc- 
curred at  the  time  of  the  full  moon.  Now,  nat- 
urally, an  eclipse  of  the  sun  can  occur  only  at  the 
time  of  the  new  moon,  when  the  latter  is  between 
the  sun  and  the  earth.  Then,  it  was  miraculous 
because  it  was  total  from  the  very  beginning  and, 
lastly,  because  it  remained  total  for  three  hours. 

1  See  note  20. 


EVENTS  AT  THE  DEATH  OF  CHRIST  '       381 

In  an  ordinary  eclipse  of  the  sun,  the  moon,  in 
the  beginning,  covers  only  a  part  of  the  sun,  then 
gradually  more,  until  the  darkness  reaches  its 
greatest  height,  whereupon  it  again  gradually  de- 
creases. This  eclipse  of  the  sun  was,  therefore, 
an  extraordinary  work  of  God,  and  the  Holy 
Fathers  freely  apply  to  it  the  words  of  the  prophet 
Amos,  ''And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day  that 
the  sun  shall  go  down  at  mid-day,  and  I  will  make 
the  earth  dark  in  the  day  of  light. ' '  ^  And,  about 
the  year  200,  Tertullian,  speaking  of  this  won- 
drous eclipse,  thus  spoke  to  the  Romans,  *'You 
yourselves  have  recorded  this  great  event  in  your 
annals." 

What  was  the  meaning  of  this  eclipse?  On 
the  part  of  heaven,  it  was  the  garb  of  mourning 
wherewith  the  sun  clothed  itself  while  the  Sun  of 
Justice  was  being  extinguished.  ''Creation," 
says  St.  Chrysostom,^  "could  not  bear  the  indig- 
nities inflicted  upon  the  Creator."  For  the 
Saviour  to  Whom  a  loin-cloth  only  was  left,  the 
eclipse  was  a  veil  woven  by  compassionate  nature 
to  cover  His  nakedness.  On  the  part  of  God,  it 
was  a  sign  of  His  anger.  God  withdrew,  even 
from  the  just,  the  light  of  the  sun  which  he  ordi- 
narily lets  shine  even  upon  the  wicked.  At  the 
birth  of  Christ,  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  the 
splendor  of  God's  glory  encircled  the  shepherds 
and  brightness  reigned.  At  His  death-struggle, 
the   sun,   standing  high   in   the   heavens,   became 

1  Amos,  viii.,  9. 

2  In  Catena  ex  serm.  de  Pass.  Domini. 


382  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

obscured  and  darkness  reigned.  Thus  also 
does  brightness  spread  in  the  soul  when  Christ  is 
born  in  the  heart.  But  the  gloom  of  night  enters 
when  He  departs  from  the  soul.  Wherefore  the 
eclipse  of  the  sun  was  also  an  image  of  the  blind- 
ness and  obstinacy  of  the  Jewish  people. 

This  eclipse  ended  at  the  death  of  the  Redeemer. 
Then  again  did  the  sun  appear  in  perfect  beauty. 
Now  Divine  Justice  was  reconciled,  the  sacrifice 
was  consummated.  Now  the  soul  of  Christ  which 
had  been  sad  unto  death,  was  delivered  from  all  af- 
fliction and  was  unspeakably  happy.  Now  the 
souls  of  the  patriarchs  and  saints  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment shared  in  the  brilliancy  of  heavenly  light 
and  in  the  joys  of  the  vision  of  God.  Now  the 
darkness  which  had  hovered  over  the  earth  for 
four  thousand  years  was  dispelled  through  the 
death  of  Christ,  and  the  new  day  of  salvation  had 
dawned.  Now  through  the  light  of  grace,  all  dark- 
ness was  also  to  be  driven  out  of  the  hearts  of 
men. 

To  the  wonderful  events  which  happened  at  the 
death  of  Christ,  belongs  in  the  first  place  the  tear- 
ing of  the  veil  in  the  temple.  As  the  Talmudists 
report,  this  veil  was  forty  yards  long  and  twenty 
yards  wide.  It  was  woven  of  gold  and  purple 
and  had  the  thickness  of  an  open  hand.  It  con- 
cealed the  Holy  of  Holies  of  the  Temple  into 
which  the  High-Priest  alone  was  allowed  to  enter, 
and  this  only  once  a  year  on  the  feast  of  atone- 
ment to  offer  the  expiatory  sacrifice.  Now,  at  the 
death  of  Christ,  this  veil  was  rent  from  top  to 


EVENTS  AT  THE  DEATH  OF  CHRIST  383 

bottom  in  two  pieces.  Just  as  Jacob  of  yore  rent 
his  garments  in  sadness,  when  he  was  told  that 
wild-beasts  had  torn  to  pieces  his  son  Joseph;  just 
as  Caiphas,  in  indignation,  tore  the  pontifical  robe, 
when  Christ  declared  Himself  to  be  the  Son  of 
God,  so  now  the  temple  rent  its  garment  both  in 
sadness  and  in  indignation.  The  tearing  of  the 
veil  signified  the  end  of  the  Old  Law  and  the  re- 
jection of  the  Mosaic  sacrifices.  In  future  the 
entrance  into  the  Holy  of  Holies,  that  is,  into  the 
Church  of  God,  should  be  allowed  to  all  men :  God 
would  no  longer  be  the  God  of  the  Jews,  but  the 
God  of  all  nation^.  All  should  be  allowed  access 
to  the  heavenly  Manna  concealed  in  the  sanc- 
tuary, and  the  portals  of  the  Holy  of  Holies,  of 
celestial  Paradise,  should  be  open  to  all. 

The  earth  quaked.  This  was  also  a  sign  of 
sadness  and  of  indignation,  owing  to  the  crime 
committed  against  the  Creator.  But,  more  than 
that,  as  St.  Ignatius  remarks  in  his  book  of  Ex- 
ercises, it  was  a  sign  of  joy  and  delight  on  ac- 
count of  the  victory  of  the  Crucified  One  and  of 
His  present  glory.  It  is  remarkable  that,  at  this 
tremendous  earthquake,  not  a  single  human  being 
suffered  any  damage.  For  the  might  of  infernal 
powers  was  broken  by  the  death  of  Christ.  Hell 
may  rage  and  rave  ever  so  much,  it  may  shake 
the  earth  to  its  foundations,  but  it  has  lost  its 
power  over  mankind,  even  over  the  bodies  of  men. 

The  rocks  were  rent.  Hearts  as  hard  as  rocks 
shall  now  be  rent;  they  shall  become  as  pliable 
as  wax  and,  like  to  wax,  they  shall  melt  before 


384  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

the  glow  of  Divine  Love.  Now  the  time  had 
finally  arrived  when  the  earth  should  be  formed 
again,  and  when  the  face  of  the  earth  should  be  re- 
newed. 

Even  the  graves  opened  as  a  sign  that  Christ 
through  His  death  had  overcome  death,  and  that 
all  flesh  should  rise  again  on  the  last  day.  The 
dead,  however,  came  forth  from  their  graves  only 
on  Easter  day  and  not  directly  after  the  death 
of  Christ.  It  would  indeed  not  have  been  fitting, 
if  many  souls  had  left  Limbo  to  rejoin  their 
bodies  and  dwell  in  Jerusalem  at  a  time  when  the 
soul  of  the  Redeemer  honored  the  souls  in  Limbo 
by  His  presence  and  remained  with  them  until 
the  resurrection.  It  would  also  have  been  with- 
out purpose.  For  the  dead  were  to  rise  in  order 
to  give  testimony  unto  the  Risen  One.  They  were 
to  say  to  the  Jews,  *'We,  who  have  been  buried  by 
you,  have  arisen;  believe  ye  therefore  in  the 
resurrection  of  the  Crucified.''  They  could  not 
give  this  testimony  on  Holy  Saturday.  Mean- 
while the  Jews  and  pagans  had  an  opportunity  of 
seeing  the  corpses,  and  this  contributed  not  a  little 
to  remove  all  doubt  as  to  the  miracle  of  their  resur- 
rection. It  is  true  that,  to  avoid  defilement,  the 
Jews  did  not  enter  the  sepulchres. 

Thus  did  both  heaven  and  earth  announce  the 
world-moving  event  of  the  deicide.  Heaven  and 
earth  arose  as  witnesses  for  the  Great  Dead.  Even 
from  out  of  the  night  of  death  there  came  a  ray 
of  Divine  majesty.    Let  us  now  consider  the  dif- 


EVENTS  AT  THE  DEATH  OF  CHRIST  385 

ferent  effects  which  these  wonderful  events  pro- 
duced upon  men. 

II. 

As  to  the  Mother  of  God  and  all  the  pious  peo- 
ple assembled  on  Golgotha,  these  events  served  to 
confirm  their  faith  in  the  Divinity  of  Jesus  Christ 
and  console  them  in  their  sorrow  for  the  loss  of 
the  Departed  One. 

In  the  enemies  of  the  Saviour,  who  had  ma- 
liciously delivered  Him  to  the  death  of  the  Cross, 
these  miracles  effected  the  awful  miracle  of  utter 
blindness  and  obduracy.  Undoubtedly,  during 
these  events,  they  were  somewhat  startled  and 
amazed.  But  these  terrors  had  hardly  reached  an 
end,  when  they  were  their  former  selves,  and  not 
one  of  them  was  converted. 

Here  we  have  a  true  type  of  so  many  infidels 
and  of  so  many  renegade  Catholics  of  our  day. 
God  may  show  by  the  most  fearful  natural  phe- 
nomena that  He  is  great  and  terrible;  He  may 
darken  the  sun  and  in  the  dense  gloom  let  His 
lightning  flash  and  His  thunder  roll ;  He  may  in- 
flict upon  the  infidels  the  most  varied  misfortunes, 
earthquakes,  famine  and  wars;  He  may  destroy 
all  their  machinations;  nothing  touches  them, 
nothing  disturbs  them;  they  remain  obdurate. 
They  pass  ridiculous  resolutions  of  condolence, 
they  listen  to  some  masonic  speech  of  beatifica- 
tion, they  sing  for  the  deceased  a  funeral  sere- 
nade, and,  accompanied  by  the  strains  of  swelling 

25 


386  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

music,  they  return,  apparently  in  good  cheer,  to 
their  vicious  life.  But,  at  heart,  they  certainly 
enjoy  no  happiness.  If  they  do,  it  is  the  happi- 
ness of  the  fallen-away  Catholic  who  said  to  his 
friends,  *'I  would  now  be  perfectly  happy,  were 
it  not  for  this  cursed  dying. ' '  The  same  word  ap- 
plies to  these  hardened  sinners  which  Holy  Writ 
applies  to  the  enemies  of  Christ,  "They  shall  look 
on  him  whom  they  pierced,"  namely,  on  the  last 
day. 

It  was  only  one  class  of  sinners  in  whom,  by 
the  grace  of  the  Crucified  Saviour,  these  wonder- 
ful facts  did  not  miss  their  salutary  effects.  It 
was  those  who  had  offended  Christ  not  so  much 
through  malice  as  through  weakness  and  igno- 
rance. There  were  first  of  all  the  pagan  centur- 
ion, commander  of  the  troops,  and  his  soldiers, 
who,  being  amazed  at  what  was  going  on,  ex- 
claimed, *' Indeed  this  was  a  just  man.  Indeed 
this  man  was  the  Son  of  God."  The  Catholic 
Church  reveres  this  captain  as  a  saint.  Then, 
also  many  of  the  people,  who  had  not  taken  a 
direct  part  in  the  crucifixion  but  who  had  merely 
stood  around  and  looked  on,  struck  their  breasts 
and  returned  home  with  contrite  feelings.  We 
shall  join  in  spirit  these  penitent  sinners,  strike 
our  breasts  and  pray  from  the  bottom  of  our 
hearts,  *'Lord,  be  merciful  to  us  poor  sinners."  . 

Let  us,  in  conclusion,  cast  a  retrospective  glance 
upon  the  wonderful  proceedings  which  we  have 
considered.  Although  they  were  diverse  and 
manifold,  still  in  their  successive  stages  they  are  a 


EVENTS  AT  THE  DEATH  OF  CHRIST  387 

true  representation  of  the  entire  process  of  con- 
version. In  order  that  the  sinner  may  turn  to 
God,  it  is  above  all  necessary  that  the  earth  be 
wrapped  in  darkness.  As  long  as  the  sinner  looks 
complacently  upon  the  world  and  its  sinful  pleas- 
ures, there  can  be  no  thought  of  serious  con- 
version. Then  the  veil  which  hindered  him  from 
looking  into  his  own  heart  must  be  torn  in  pieces : 
he  must  know  his  sins  by  means  of  a  thorough  ex- 
amen  of  conscience.  The  terrible  penalties  of 
Divine  Justice  must  move  him;  his  sins  must 
cause  him  to  tremble  and  quake  in  disgust  and 
horror,  even  to  the  marrow  of  his  bones.  The 
rocks,  furthermore,  must  be  rent;  this  heart,  hard 
and  unyielding  until  now,  must  become  soft  and 
contrite  through  the  tears  of  sorrow.  The  graves 
must  open;  by  a  sincere  confession,  the  soul  must 
exhale  the  fetid  odor  of  the  grave.  And  after 
the  sinner  has  finally  risen  from  the  grave  by 
means  of  the  absolution  of  the  priest,  he  must, 
by  a  Christian  life,  give  testimony  everywhere  to 
the  Redeemer,  risen  from  the  grave. 

After  the  just  who  had  risen  from  their  graves, 
had  accomplished  their  mission  and  given  testi- 
mony unto  the  risen  Saviour,  they  returned  to  the 
sepulchres  and  died  a  painless  death.  Their  res- 
urrection from  the  grave  was  only  a  temporary 
one,  wherefore  they  cannot  be  our  models  in  our 
resurrection  from  the  grave  of  sin.  The  only 
model  of  our  spiritual  resurrection  is,  according 
to  Holy  Writ,  the  risen  Saviour,  Who  died  no 
more   and  Who  lives   forever.     Thus  should  we, 


388  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

after  arising  from  the  grave  of  sin,  no  more  re- 
turn to  it.  But  rather,  like  the  risen  Redeemer, 
we  should  begin  an  entirely  new,  supernatural, 
divine  life.  Then,  and  only  then,  can  we  enter- 
tain the  hope  of  taking  part  forever,  after  death, 
in  the  glory  of  the  Risen  Lord. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

THE  EVENTS  IMMEDIATELY  FOLLOWING  THE  DEATH  OP 
CHRIST 

"  The  soldiers  therefore  came :  and 
they  broke  the  legs  of  the  first,  and 
of  the  other  that  was  crucified  with 
him.  But  after  they  were  come  to 
Jesus,  when  they  saw  that  he  was  al- 
ready dead,  they  did  not  break  Ms 
legs.  But  one  of  the  soldiers  with  a 
spear  opened  his  side,  and  immedi- 
ately there  came  out  blood  and 
water."  (St.   John,  xix.,   32-34.) 

The  next  events  after  the  death  of  Christ  are 
described  by  St.  John  (xix.,  31-37)  as  follows: 
*'Then  the  Jews,  that  the  bodies  might  not  remain 
upon  the  cross  on  the  Sabbath  day  (for  that  was 
a  great  Sabbath  day),  besought  Pilate  that  their 
legs  might  be  broken  and  that  they  might  be 
taken  away.  The  soldiers  therefore  came:  and 
they  broke  the  legs  of  the  first,  and  of  the  other 
that  was  crucified  with  him.  But  after  they  were 
come  to  Jesus,  when  they  saw  that  he  was  already 
dead,  they  did  not  break  his  legs.  But  one  of  the 
soldiers  with  a  spear  opened  his  side,  and  im- 
mediately there  came  out  blood  and  water.  And 
he  that  saw  it  hath  given  testimony :  and  his  testi- 
389 


390  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

mony  is  true.  And  he  knoweth  that  he  saith  true : 
that  you  also  may  believe.  For  these  things  were 
done  that  the  scripture  might  be  fufilled:  You 
shall  not  break  a  bone  of  him.  And  again  an- 
other scripture  saith:  They  shall  look  on  him 
whom  they  pierced." 

It  is,  therefore,  two  events  which  we  are  to  con- 
sider, namely: 

I.     The  breaking  of  the  bones  of  the  thieves 
and 

II.     The  opening  of  the  Sacred  Side. 


Crucifixion  was  not  only  a  painful  and  dis- 
graceful punishment,  but  it  was  also  one  of  long 
duration.  It  happened,  at  times,  that  the  cruci- 
fied hung  upon  the  cross  two  or  three  days  before 
dying.  And,  when  they  had  finally  died,  the 
corpses,  according  to  Roman  usage,  remained  on 
the  cross  until  the  flesh  had  been  devoured  by 
birds  of  prey,  or  wolves  and  jackals.  The  cruci- 
fied were  deemed  unworthy  of  burial.  These  two 
circumstances  caused  the  pharisees  and  chief- 
priests  no  little  anxiety  and  embarrassment.  For 
they  had  remarked  that,  in  consequence  of  the 
miraculous  phenomena,  some  change  had  taken 
place  among  the  people  and  even  among  the 
soldiers,  and  that  a  reversal  of  public  opinion  in 
favor  of  the  Redeemer  was  imminent.  Now  as 
they  perhaps  even  apprehended  an  uprising,  the 
responsibility  of  which  might  be  laid  at  their 
door,  they  were  determined  to  remove  from  the 


EVENTS  AFTER  CHRIST'S  DEATH  391 

gaze  of  the  people  the  corpses  of  the  three  cruci- 
fied. ''Out  of  sight,  out  of  mind,"  thought  they. 
But  for  that  purpose,  the  permission  of  the  Roman 
governor  was  needed.  They  therefore  sent  to  Pi- 
late a  committee  petitioning  for  two  favors:  first, 
to  help  the  three  crucified  to  a  speedy  death  by 
breaking  their  bones  and  then  to  be  allowed  to 
bury  them.  For  they  knew  not  as  yet  that  the 
Redeemer  had  died;  the  executioners  even  did 
not  know  it.  Of  course  the  committee  did  not 
mention  the  real  motive  of  the  petition.  But, 
with  their  usual  hypocrisy,  they  represented  to 
Pilate  that  the  Mosaic  Law  strictly  demanded  the 
burial  of  executed  criminals  before  the  beginning 
of  night;  that,  furthermore,  it  would  be  unbe- 
coming and  exasperating  to  have  three  criminals 
hanging  upon  the  cross  on  the  holy  Paschal  Sab- 
bath; that  thereby  the  feast  would  be  disturbed, 
the  people,  assembled  in  great  numbers,  would  be 
defiled  and  their  thoughts  entirely  withdrawn 
from  the  paschal  celebration.  The  committee, 
composed  without  doubt  of  prominent  men,  found 
a  favorable  hearing.  And  it  may  be  that  Pilate 
himself,  who  certainly  felt  uneasy  after  witnes- 
sing the  violent  commotion  in  nature,  wished  that 
the  distressing  business  would  be  ended  in  haste. 
Thereupon  the  executioners,  armed  with  iron- 
.  trimmed  clubs,  broke  the  bones,  and  especially  the 
knees  of  the  two  thieves.  For  according  to  the 
conceptions  of  antiquity,  the  real  strength  of  a 
man  lay  in  the  knees,  and  Biblical  language  sug- 
gests  the   same   idea.     Many   even   regarded   the 


392  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

knees  as  the  seat  of  the  soul.  But  when  the 
soldiers  came  to  Jesus  and  saw  that  he  was  already 
dead — ^and  they  certainly  examined  carefully — 
they  did  not  break  His  bones.  Jesus,  then,  had 
already  died,  and  he  surely  had  died  so  soon  that 
His  bones  might  not  be  broken.  Otherwise,  they 
hardly  would  have  thought  of  opening  His  side, 
as  was  called  for  in  the  plan  of  God.  The  bones, 
then,  were  not  broken.  This  was  prefigured  in 
the  Old  Testament;  not  a  bone  of  the  paschal 
lamb  should  be  broken.  Christ  was  to  shed  all 
His  blood,  His  flesh  was  to  be  torn  in  pieces,  but 
the  bones  were  to  remain  intact  as  a  sign  that  all 
the  strength  and  power  of  the  Divinity  was  in- 
herent in  the  dead  body.  So  a  soldier  approached 
and  opened  His  side  with  a  spear,  and  imme- 
diately there  came  out  blood  and  water. 

Let  us  now  consider  the  opening  of  the  Sacred 
Side. 

II. 

Of  the  four  evangelists,  only  one  narrates  this 
incident.  It  is  St.  John,  the  disciple  of  love,  he 
who,  at  the  last  supper,  had  reposed  his  head  on 
this  side.  We  ask  ourselves  in  astonishment  how 
it  could  happen  that  the  side  was  opened.  Is 
it  not  repulsive  to  every  humane  feeling  to  dis- 
honor the  body  of  a  slain  opponent  ?  King  David 
certainly  did  not  act  thus.  When  the  death  of 
King  Saul,  his  most  bitter  enemy,  was  reported  to 
him,  he  tore  his  garments  in  sadness,  he  wept  and 
fasted  till   evening.     Nor   did  Julius   Caesar,   the 


EVENTS  AFTER  CHRIST'S  DEATH  393 

Koman  general,  act  thus,  although  he  was  a  pagan. 
When  the  head  of  Pompey,  his  opponent,  was  laid 
at  his  feet,  he  burst  into  a  flood  of  tears.  Even 
the  lion  looks  magnanimously  upon  the  corpse  of 
a  man  whom  he  has  overcome  in  combat.  But 
Longinus,  the  soldier,  oversteps  all  the  bounds 
of  humanity,  and  seizes  the  lance.  Whilst  there- 
fore Holy  Church  speaks  of  the  ''sweet"  wood  of 
the  cross  and  whilst,  in  her  chant,  she  designates 
as  "sweet"  all  the  other  instruments  of  martyr- 
dom with  which  Christ,  still  living,  was  tortured, 
she  speaks  in  holy  indignation  of  the  "cruel 
shaft"  of  the  lance. 

How,  then,  was  it  possible  that  Longinus  should 
so  brutally  attack  the  Saviour,  after  he  had,  with 
the  captain,  declared  his  belief  in  the  divinity  of 
Christ  only  a  short  while  before  ?  ^  An  order  had 
just  arrived  from  the  governor  to  break  the  bones 
of  the  three  crucified.  To  demonstrate  his  good 
will  and  his  obedience,  the  soldier  wielded  the 
lance,  as  Christ  was  already  dead.  Or  perhaps, 
it  was  merely  an  act  of  military  barbarism. 

The  point  of  the  lance  entered  the  body  of  the 
Redeemer  between  the  ribs  on  the  right  side, 
whence,  following  an  oblique  upward  course,  it 
pierced  the  heart  and,  perhaps,  passed  out  on  the 
left  side.  The  wound  on  the  right  side  must  have 
been  very  large,  as  Thomas  could  lay  his  hand  in 
it.  Without  taking  into  consideration  the  force 
of  the  thrust,  the  size  of  the  wound  can  be  fully 

iSt.  Matthew,  xxvii.,  54. 


394  HISTOEY  OF  THE  PASSION 

accounted  for  by  the  shape  of  the  Roman  lance 
which  from  a  long  point  at  once  extended  to  a 
considerable  width. 

As  soon  as  the  Sacred  Heart  was  pierced,  blood 
and  water  issued  from  the  wound  on  the  right 
side.  It  cannot  be  stated  with  certainty  whether 
the  blood  and  water  flowed  simultaneously  or  in 
two  distinct  streams,  or  whether  the  flowing  water 
contained  streaks  of  blood,  or,  again,  whether 
blood  flowed  first  and  then  water. 

Neither  does  Holy  Writ  mention  how  much 
blood  and  water  issued  forth.  However,  the  com- 
mon belief,  the  discourses  of  many  Catholic 
preachers  which  have  never  been  discountenanced 
by  ecclesiastical  authority  and  especially  the  words 
of  Pope  Innocent  VI .^  who  speaks  of  floods  stream- 
ing from  the  sacred  side,  give  credit  to  the  idea 
that  it  was  not  only  an  issue  of  a  few  drops  but 
that  there  was  a  copious  flow  of  blood  and  water. 

It  is  more  difficult  to  decide  the  question  whether 
the  outpouring  of  blood  and  water,  considered  in 
itself,  indicated  some  miraculous  process  or 
whether  it  can  be  explained  by  natural  agencies.^ 
It  is  uncertain  whether  St.  John,  in  affirming  that 
he  himself  had  seen  it;  that  his  testimony  was 
true;  that  he  knew  that  he  said  true  and  that  he 
gave  the  testimony  that  we  might  also  believe, 
wished  to  confirm  other  miraculous  incidents  or 
had  in  view  the  death  of  Christ  only  and  the  ful- 
fillment of  two  prophecies  following  it.     For  by 

iDecr.  de  festo  Lanceae  et  Clavorum  Domini. 
2  See  note  21. 


EVENTS  AFTER  CHRIST'S  DEATH  395 

the  fact  that  the  Redeemer's  bones  were  not 
broken,  as  the  Jews  intended,  but  that  His  side 
was  opened,  two  prophecies  were  fulfilled,  "You 
shall  not  break  a  bone  of  him"  and  "They  shall 
look  on  him  whom  they  pierced."  In  any  case, 
what  St.  John  here  so  solemnly  affirms  is  a  proof 
that  He  Whose  bones  remained  intact  as  if  mi- 
raculously, but  Whose  side  was  opened,  was  the 
Messias  and  the  Son  of  God.  Forth  from  the 
ignominy  and  the  humiliation  of  His  bitter  Pas- 
sion, His  lofty  majesty  already  shone  in  heavenly 
radiance.  By  the  reverberation  of  the  rays  of 
ancient  prophecy  which  here  found  its  fulfillment. 
His  Cross  was,  so  to  speak,  transfigured.  He  did 
not  manifest  the  lassitude  of  death  by  a  hollow  rat- 
tle, but  He  expired  with  a  loud,  mighty  shout. 
His  death  ensued  not  as  a  pitiless  necessity  nor  as 
an  inevitable  natural  process,  but  as  a  freely 
willed,  sublime  act  of  sacrifice.  Therefore  now 
also,  in  the  body,  suspended  lifeless  on  the  Cross, 
the  signs  of  Divine  glory  must  not  be  missing. 

The  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus  is,  then,  finally 
opened,  and  from  the  wound  in  the  side  flows  blood 
and  water.  What  are  the  special  reasons  for 
which  the  Saviour  permitted  this  last  abuse  of  His 
Sacred  Body? 

First,  through  this  maltreatment,  the  reality  of 
His  death  and,  consequently,  the  reality  of  His 
resurrection  were  to  be  placed  in  the  most  con- 
spicuous  light.  It  would  be  a  refutation  in  ad- 
vance of  all  the  assertions  of  unbelievers  that 
Christ's   death   was   only   feigned   and   that   His 


396  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

resurrection  was  a  sham.     A  man  whose  heart  is 
pierced  cannot  possibly  live. 

Then,  the  opening  of  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus 
was  the  opening  of  His  will  and  testament. 
Christ,  it  is  true,  had  at  the  last  supper  spoken  to 
His  apostles  about  His  testament.  But  this  com- 
munication was  made  in  the  circle  of  His  friends 
and  was  more  of  a  private  nature.  Besides,  a 
testament  is  legal  and  valid  only  after  the  death 
of  the  testator,  as  before  his  death  it  can  at  any 
time  be  annulled.  Now  the  pagan  world,  for  which 
Christ  had  especially  died,  should  also  be  informed 
what  the  Deceased  had  left  to  it.  And  His  last 
will  and  testament  could  be  found  nowhere  but  in 
His  heart.  His  heart,  then,  must  be  opened,  and 
this  Avas  done  by  a  soldier  of  the  Roman  em- 
peror, by  an  official  person,  as  it  were,  and  that 
in  the  presence  of  all  interested  parties.  What  a 
splendid  discovery!  What  a  precious  inherit- 
ance! *' Water  flowed  out,'*  says  St.  Ambrose,^ 
*'to  cleanse  us,  and  blood,  to  redeem  us."  W-ater 
flowed  out  of  the  open  side  to  prefigure  the  first, 
and  blood,  to  prefigure  the  greatest  and  most  ex- 
cellent sacrament.  Water,  clear  water  flowed  out 
of  the  open  side  of  the  Redeemer  to  form  the  body 
of  His  Bride,  the  Holy  Church,  and  blood,  to 
nourish  it  and  to  give  it  perfection  and  com- 
pletion. Now  we  understand  with  what  right  and 
in  what  sense,  the  Holy  Fathers  speak  of  the  seven 
sacraments,  which,  like  to  seven  streams  of  grace, 

1  De  sacr.  1. 


EVENTS  AFTER  CHRIST'S  DEATH  397 

have  flowed  from  the  side  of  Christ.  We  under- 
stand in  what  sense  they  can  say  that  Holy 
Church,  the  second  Eve  and  the  true  Mother  of 
the  living,  proceeded  from  the  side  of  the  Ke- 
deemer,  the  second  Adam,  whilst  He  lay  in  the 
sleep  of  death. 

Lastly,  the  Divine  Heart,  the  seat  and  fountain 
of  all  love  and  grace,  must  be  opened  to  enable 
us  to  enter  therein.  **The  evangelist,"  says  St. 
Augustine,^  ''used  a  well  considered  word."  For 
he  did  not  say  that  the  soldier  wounded  the  side 
of  Our  Lord,  but  that  he  opened  it,  indicating 
thereby  that  the  wound  of  the  side  should  be  the 
entrance  to  the  Sacred  Heart.  Indeed,  the  wound 
of  the  side  is  the  portal  of  the  true  ark  of  Noah. 
Only  what  enters  through  this  portal,  shall  be 
saved  from  the  universal  destruction.  The 
wound  of  the  side  is  the  golden  gate  of  the  true 
temple  of  the  Lord  wherein  all  the  sick,  all  the 
beggars  and  all  the  needy  obtain  health  and  grace 
and  mercy.  It  is  the  entrance  to  the  true  para- 
dise, in  which  alone  delight  and  peace  are  to  be 
found.  Thomas  had  no  sooner  put  his  hand  on 
this  portal  than  he  believed  and  loved  and  said, 
''My  Lord  and  my  God."  The  Heart  of  Jesus 
is,  indeed,  the  strength  of  the  just,  the  consola- 
tion of  the  afflicted,  the  refuge  of  sinners.  For 
the  tempted  soul,  it  is  the  cavern  in  the  rock 
in  which  the  timid  dove  hides  itself  from  the 
hawk.     To   the   soul   which   feels   itself   to   be   a 

1  Tract,  in  Joan,  120,  2. 


398  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

parched  soil,  it  is  the  fountain  of  living  waters. 
To  the  sad  and  depressed  soul,  it  is  the  spiritual 
wine-cellar  in  which  the  Divine  Bridegroom  glad- 
dens His  promised  bride  with  heavenly  delights. 
To  the  soul  which  is  amazed  at  its  coldness  and 
dearth  of  love,  it  is  the  inexhaustible  furnace  of 
that  fire  which  the  Son  of  God  brought  from 
heaven  to  earth.  The  Catholic  Church,  therefore, 
is  wise  in  recommending  very  earnestly  to  her 
children  the  devotion  to  the  Sacred  Heart,  and 
in  being  ingenious  in  devising  means  for  spread- 
ing and  increasing  it  all  over  the  world. 

With  confidence,  then,  let  us  enter  into  the  Sa- 
cred Heart  of  Jesus  in  all  our  needs.  In  It  there 
is  room  for  all  men.  Even  Longinus,  the  soldier, 
who  had  so  cruelly  wounded  the  Heart  of  Christ, 
received  from  it  health  and  blessing.  According 
to  tradition,  one  of  his  eyes  was  bereft  of  sight. 
When  he  thrust  the  lance  a  drop  of  the  precious 
Blood  struck  his  eye,  and  he  received  his  bodily 
and  spiritual  sight  at  the  same  time.  He  was 
baptized  and  hid  himself  in  a  fearful  desert  to  do 
penance  for  his  sins.  He  became  a  bishop  and  a 
martyr,  a  saint  of  the  Catholic  Church,  a  saint 
of  heaven.  What  may  we  then  not  expect,  if  we 
not  only  avoid  wounding  the  Sacred  Heart  by 
sin,  but  strive  to  honor  It,  to  spread  Its  devotion, 
and  to  imitate  Its  virtues.  Let  us,  then,  build 
our  dwelling  in  the  Sacred  Heart  of  Jesus.  We 
shall  live  and  die  in  this  Heart,  and  be  united 
with  it  forevermore. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

THE  LAST  EVENTS  IN   THE  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

"And  taking  him  down,  he  (Jo- 
seph) wrapped  him  in  fine  linen,  and 
laid  him  in  a  sepulchre,  that  was 
hewed  in  stone,  wherein  never  yet 
any  man  had  been  laid." 

(St.  Luke  xxiii.,  53.) 

What  the  four  evangelists  narrate  concerning 
the  last  events  of  the  history  of  the  Passion  may 
be  summed  up  as  follows:^ 

After  all  these  things,  that  is,  after  the  Heart 
of  Jesus  was  opened,  there  came  a  certain  rich 
man  of  Arimathea,  named  Joseph.  He  went  in 
boldly  to  Pilate  and  asked  the  body  of  Jesus. 
But  Pilate  wondered  that  he  should  be  already 
dead.  And  sending  for  the  centurion  he  asked 
him  if  He  were  already  dead.  And  when  he  had 
understood  it  by  the  centurion,  he  gave  the  body 
to  Joseph,  and  commanded  that  it  should  be  de- 
livered to  him.  And  Nicodemus  also  came  bring- 
ing a  mixture  of  myrrh  and  aloes  about  an  hun- 
dred pound  weight.  And  Joseph  brought  linen. 
They  took,  therefore,  the  body  of  Jesus  down  and 

iSt.  Matthew,  xxvii.,  57-61;    St.  Mark,  xv.    42-47;   St. 
Luke,  xxiii.,  50-56;    St.  John,  xix.,  38-42. 

399 


400  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

wound  it  in  a  clean  linen  cloth  with  the  spices. 
Now  there  was  in  the  place  where  he  w^as  cruci- 
fied, a  garden:  and  in  the  garden  a  new  sepulchre, 
wherein  no  man  yet  had  been  laid.  There  they 
laid  Jesus  because  of  the  Parasceve,  that  is,  this 
circumstance  caused  them  to  select  a  tomb  which 
was  nigh  at  hand.  However,  they  had  no  inten- 
tion at  all  of  depositing  the  body  in  another  tomb 
afterwards.  Joseph  then  rolled  a  great  stone 
against  the  door  of  the  monument.  And  the  holy 
women,  sitting  over  against  the  sepulchre,  beheld 
where  and  how  his  body  was  laid.  And  they  re- 
turned, because  the  Sabbath  drew  on,  and,  on  the 
Sabbath  they  rested  according  to  the  command- 
ment. 

The  evangelists  here  describe  three  scenes: 
I.     The  taking   down   from  the   cross   of  the 

Sacred  Body, 
II.     The  preparation  for  the  burial  and 

III.     The  burial  itself. 


In  the  removal  of  the  body  from  the  cross, 
let  us  first  consider  the  persons  who  took  part 
in  it.  Among  them,  Joseph  of  Arimathea  ap- 
pears to  be  the  most  prominent.  All  the  four 
evangelists  have  something  to  report  of  him.  It 
seems  as  if  they  meant  to  express  their  joy  that  at 
last  a  wealthy  and  prominent  man  also  showed 
interest  in  and  sympathy  for  the  Redeemer.  For 
it  is,  indeed,  beautiful  and  edifying  to  see  the  rich 
and  prominent  of  the  laity  labor  for  Christ  and 


LAST  EVENTS  OF  THE  PASSION  401 

for  His  Sacred  Body,  whether,  as  a  heroic  pha- 
lanx of  enthusiastic  warriors,  they  defend  the 
mystic  Body  of  the  Lord,  Holy  Church,  and  her 
rights,  or  they  bend  the  knee  to  His  Sacramental 
Body  and  receive  Him  devoutly  in  Holy  Com- 
munion. To  return  to  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  St. 
Matthew  says  that  he  was  a  rich  man.  St.  IMark 
calls  him  a  noble  counsellor;  St.  Luke,  a  good  and 
a  just  man  who  had  not  consented  to  the  counsels 
and  doings  of  the  Sanhedrim.  St.  John  tells  of 
him  that  he  was  a  disciple  of  Jesus,  but  secretly, 
for  fear  of  the  Jews.  These  last  words  do  not 
attach  any  odium  to  Joseph.  Undoubtedly  it  is 
never  excusable  to  deny  one's  religious  con- 
victions, nor,  in  the  councils  of  the  mighty,  to  con- 
sent, against  one's  conscience  and  from  human 
respect,  to  the  impious  decrees  of  the  majority. 
But  there  are  cases  in  which  without  sin  one  may 
conceal  one's  religious  convictions,  as,  for  instance, 
if  a  question  be  put  by  one  having  no  right  to 
ask  it  and  if  an  answer  would  have  bad  rather 
than  good  effects.  The  Redeemer  certainly  ap- 
proved of  the  reasons  which  Joseph  had  of  not 
openly  declaring  himself  for  Him,  otherwise  He 
would  not  have  recognized  him  as  a  true  disciple. 
The  other  man  who  appeared  towards  evening  on 
Golgotha  was  Nicodemus.  Nicodemus  was  a  phar- 
isee,  a  lawyer  and  a  teacher  in  Israel.  He  also 
was  a  secret  disciple  of  Jesus.  He  had  often  vis- 
ited the  Lord  at  night  to  receive  instructions 
in  the  mysteries  of  the  faith.     At  a  meeting  of  the 

Pharisees,   he   with   Joseph,   had   openly   declared 
26 


402  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

for  Christ.  At  the  midnight  session  in  the  house 
of  Caiphas  and  at  the  session  of  the  great  council 
on  the  morning  of  Good  Friday  they  both  had 
been  absent.  For  St.  Mark  mentions  in  express 
terms  that  aU  who  were  gathered  there  condemned 
Christ  as  being  guilty  of  death.  Formerly,  then, 
when  Christ  worked  miracles  and  all  the  people 
followed  Him,  Joseph  and  Nicodemus  were  His 
disciples  secretly,  for  fear  of  the  Jews.  Now, 
however,  after  Christ  died  the  shameful  death 
of  the  cross,  they  declare  themselves  openly  as  His 
adherents,  and  all  their  fear  has  vanished.  Who 
does  not  here  recognize  the  glorious  fruits  of  the 
Redeemer's  death  and  the  power  of  grace  pur- 
chased by  Christ! 

The  arrival  of  these  men  was  a  great  relief  to 
Mary  and  to  the  other  women.  For,  if  the  Roman 
soldiers  had  taken  down  the  body  and  buried  it, 
it  would  have  been  very  pitiable  and  dishonor- 
able indeed.  The  body  of  the  Saviour  would  have 
been  interred  with  the  corpses  of  the  two  thieves 
in  the  place  reserved  for  criminals.  This  thought 
had  filled  with  pain  the  heart  of  the  dolorous 
Mother.  Joseph  therefore  offered  to  request  of 
Pilate  the  privilege  of  caring  for  the  burial.  It 
was  an  easy  matter  for  him  to  prevail  on  the  cap- 
tain to  await  Pilate's  decision  as  to  the  interment. 
Although  to  appear  as  the  friend  of  a  criminal, 
and  that  before  the  judge  himself,  required  much 
temerity  and  was  attendant  with  great  risk,  and 
although  'Joseph  would  thereby  draw  down  upon 
himself  the  anger  and  even  the  vengeance  of  the 


LAST  EVENTS  OF  THE  PASSION  403 

Sanhedrim,  nevertheless,  at  Mary's  desire  and  un- 
der her  protection,  as  it  were,  he  courageously 
went  to  Pilate  and  begged  for  the  body  of  Jesus. 

Pilate  wondered  that  Jesus  was  already  dead. 
For  the  crucified  often  hung  upon  the  cross  for  a 
long  time  before  dying.  He  was  not  satisfied  with 
the  statement  of  Joseph.  He  demanded  an  official 
declaration,  for  which  reason  he  sent  for  the  cap- 
tain who  had  been  charged  with  the  execution.  It 
is,  then,  from  the  lips  of  the  captain  that  we  also 
are  made  aware  officially  and  in  due  form  that 
Christ  really  died. 

The  petition  of  Joseph  was  granted.  Accord- 
ing to  St.  Anselm,  he  described  to  Pilate  in  touch- 
ing words  the  woe  of  the  Mother  of  Jesus,  and 
how  she  would  be  greatly  consoled  if  her  Son, 
her  only  Son,  were  buried  in  a  worthy  manner. 
It  may  be  that  Joseph  also  mentioned  the  inno- 
cence of  Jesus.  Undoubtedly  he  also  offered  a 
large  sum  to  Pilate  whose  avarice  was  well  known. 
StiJl  Pilate  deemed  it  unworthy  of  an  honorable 
man  to  make  the  sale  of  a  criminal's  corpse  a 
source  of  revenue.  He  was  high-minded  enough 
to  give  Joseph  the  body.  He  therefore  ordered 
the  captain  to  give  up  the  body  to  Joseph,  for 
he  had  already  abandoned  it  to  the  execution- 
ers. 

Pilate  little  knew  what  he  was  doing.  Other- 
wise he  would  have  given  Joseph  his  entire  prop- 
erty rather  than  let  him  take  that  Sacred  Body, 
the  possession  and  consumption  of  which  are  a 
pledge    of    eternal    life    and    which    is    the    seed 


404  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

of  immortality  for  the  bodies  of  mortal  men.  But 
do  not  many  Christians  resemble  Pilate  in  that 
they,  to  please  others,  carelessly  cast  away  unper- 
ishable  goods,  the  most  precious  of  all? 

After  their  return  to  Golgotha,  Joseph  and 
Nicodemus,  assisted  by  some  servants,  took,  with 
the  greatest  reverence,  the  body  of  Jesus  down 
from  the  cross,  and,  after  removing  the  crown 
from  the  head,  they  laid  the  body  in  the  lap  of 
His  Mother.  This,  then,  is  the  Sacred  Body  which 
she  once  bore,  which  she  nursed  and  cared  for, 
which,  with  motherly  love,  she  had  carried  to 
Egypt.  The  Holy  Face  is  now  pale,  the  divine 
eye  is  dim,  the  divine  mouth  is  silent  and  the 
Sacred  Heart  beats  no  more.  How  Mary  must 
have  gazed  upon  this  Sacred  Body  and  wiped 
away  from  it  the  drops  of  blood!  For  it  was  the 
body  of  her  only,  most  beloved,  divine  Son ;  it  was 
the  body  of  her  cruelly  tortured  and  withal  inno- 
cent Son.  To  whom  shall  I  compare  thee  or  to 
whom  shall  I  liken  thee  to  comfort  thee,  O  holy 
Mother  of  the  dead  Redeemer!  For  great  as  the 
sea  is  thy  sorrow.  She  who  was  queen,  has  be- 
come as  a  widow;  gone  is  her  beauty  and  her 
glory,  and  clouds  of  sadness  have  encompassed  her 
brow.  Her  adversaries  have  become  enriched. 
When  the  mothers  of  Bethlehem  received  in  their 
arms  the  children  murdered  by  Herod's  menials, 
cries  of  woe  filled  the  air;  their  lamentations  and 
their  despair  might  have  moved  to  pity  the  rocks 
which  echoed  them.  But  the  Mother  of  Jesus, 
although  her  heart  was  bleeding  from  a  thousand 


LAST  EVENTS  OF  THE  PASSION  405 

wounds,  bethought  herself  of  the  word  which  her 
Son  had  addressed  to  her  from  the  cross.  Hero- 
ically she  offered  up  to  Divine  Justice  the  Sacred 
Body,  which  she  was  holding  in  her  arms  and 
moistening  with  her  tears,  as  the  redeeming  price 
for  us  who  are  the  children  of  her  sorrow. 

After  the  Sacred  Body  was  taken  down  from 
the  cross,  preparations  were  begun  for  the  burial. 

II. 

After  the  return  of  Joseph  and  of  the  captain 
from  Pilate,  the  bodies  of  the  two  thieves,  which 
in  the  meantime  had  been  taken  down  from  the 
crosses,  were  buried  by  the  Roman  soldiers.  When 
the  body  of  the  Saviour  had  also  been  taken  down, 
the  three  crosses  with  the  nails  and  the  titles  of 
guilt  were  lowered  into  a  deep  excavation  which 
was  soon  again  filled  with  earth.  After  the  sol- 
diers had  thus  done  their  duty,  the  captain  gave 
the  command  to  return  to  the  citadel. 

Now  we  see  on  Calvary  only  the  Mother  of 
Jesus  and  a  few  of  His  friends  who  are  taking 
the  necessary  steps  to  render  to  the  dead  Saviour 
the  last  honors.  For  He  had  left  no  instructions 
regarding  His  own  burial.  He  knew  that  He 
would  die  a  criminal's  death,  and  criminals  sen- 
tenced to  death  by  a  court  had  no  right  to  dispose 
in  any  manner  of  their  bodies.  In  the  humility 
of  His  heart,  Christ  abided  by  this  custom.  He 
knew,  furthermore,  that  He  would  remain  in  the 
tomb  only  a  few  hours.  And  to  make  arrange- 
ments for  such  a  short  time  seemed  too   unim- 


406  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

portant  to  Him.  It  may  be  well  enough  for  those 
who  must  remain  in  their  graves  until  the  day  of 
judgment,  especially  for  those  for  whom  the  fu- 
neral is  indeed  the  last  honor  paid  to  them,  as  in 
hell  they  are  abandoned  to  eternal  disgrace. 

Joseph  and  Nicodemus,  then,  took  charge  of  the 
arrangements.  Nicodemus  brought  about  a  hun- 
dred pounds  of  a  mixture  of  myrrh  and  aloes, 
while  Joseph  brought  linen.  In  this  linen  they 
wrapped  the  body  of  Jesus  along  with  the  spices 
as  it  is  customary'  at  Jewish  funerals.  What 
would  Judas  have  said  to  it?  In  his  day  it  was 
only  one  pound;  here  there  are  even  a  hundred. 
But  the  pious  men  wished  to  show  respect  to  the 
body  of  Him  Whom  the}'  knew  to  be  the  Son  of 
God.  We  also  now  understand  the  significance 
of  the  gift  of  myrrh  brought  by  the  pagan  Kings. 

The  preparation  of  the  sacred  body  could,  how- 
ever, not  be  carried  out  just  now  according  to 
the  regular  manner,  as  the  interment  had  to  be 
finished  before  sun-do^vu.  Wherefore,  for  the 
time  being,  the  spices  and  the  sacred  body  were 
wrapped  in  the  linens  and  they  agreed  to  return 
to  the  sepulchre  after  the  Sabbath  on  the  morning 
of  Easter  to  supply  what  was  wanting.  These 
men  and  women,  with  the  exception,  of  course,  of 
the  Blessed  Virgin,  seemed  to  be  so  overpowered 
by  sadness,  grief  and  love  that  they  took  no  ac- 
count whatever  of  the  fact  that  on  the  third  day 
Christ  would  arise  from  the  dead  and  be  in  the 
tomb  no  more. 


LAST  EVENTS  OF  THE  PASSION  407 

We  now  come  to  the  elosiiig  scene,  to  the  burial 

of  Jesus   Christ. 

III. 

The  preparations  were,  then,  made,  as  well  as 
time  would  permit.  Now  the  funeral  procession 
started  on  its  way.  On  the  one  hand,  it  was  in- 
deed the  most  simple,  but  on  the  other,  it  was  the 
most  sacred  and  most  holy  funeral  procession  ever 
seen  upon  earth.  The  body  being  carried  to  the 
grave  is  the  body  of  the  Son  of  the  living  God. 
The  pall-bearers  are  Joseph  and  Nicodemus,  two 
noble  laymen,  with  their  servants.  From  among 
the  clergy,  the  bier  was  accompanied  by  St.  John, 
a  bishop  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and,  according 
to  a  tradition  mentioned  by  St.  Ansehn,  by  St. 
James,  also  a  bishop  of  the  Catholic  Church,  and 
by  St.  Peter,  the  appointed  pope  and  prince  of 
the  apostles.  These  two  latter  had  arrived  on 
Golgotha  towards  evening,  when  the  people  and 
most  of  the  enemies  of  Christ  had  returned  to  the 
city,  and  they  came  in  time  to  take  part  in  the 
funeral  solemnity.  As  chief  mourner,  the  sorrow- 
ful Mother,  the  Queen  of  heaven  and  earth,  walked 
behind  the  bier.  Then  followed  Magdalene  and 
the  nearest  relatives  of  the  Saviour.  Lastly  came 
some  pious  women  singing  the  funeral  dirge.  I 
cannot  help  but  imagine  that  along  the  route  of 
the  funeral  procession,  the  trees  inclined  their 
heads  and  the  flowers  their  coronas,  and  that  the 
birds  of  heaven  sang  their  saddest  lays.  Invisible 
in  the  air.  the  holy  angels  were  hovering.     They 


408  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

had  seen  much  since  the  day  of  their  creation. 
But  they  had  never  seen  a  God-Man  carried  as  a 
corpse  to  the  tomb. 

Meanwhile  the  cortege  had  reached  the  near-by 
grotto  in  the  rocks  over  which  cypresses  spread 
their  shadows.  The  men  entered  with  the  body 
and  laid  the  Redeemer  upon  His  bed  of  stone. 
Outside,  the  blood-red  sun  cast  its  dim  and  quiver- 
ing rays  upon  a  group  of  women  mutely  sitting 
upon  the  ground.  Great  as  the  sea  was  their  sor- 
row. *'And  the  women,"  says  Holy  Writ,  ''that 
were  come  with  him  from  Galilee  were  sitting 
over  against  the  sepulchre,  they  beheld  where  he 
was  laid  and  saw  how  his  body  was  laid." 

After  the  men  had  come  out  from  the  sepulchre, 
they  closed  the  door  and  rolled  before  it  a  large 
stone.  For  if  curious  people,  after  opening  the 
door,  should  forget  to  close  it  again  carefully, 
wild  beasts  might  find  their  way  into  the  sepul- 
chre which  was  by  all  means  to  be  guarded 
against.  At  this  moment,  the  sound  of  trumpets 
from  the  pinnacles  of  the  temple  announced  the 
beginning  of  the  great  Sabbath,  and  the  men  and 
women  with  Mary  hurried  back  to  Jerusalem  as 
the  law  required.  It  appears  that  some  of  the 
pious  women  had  gone  sooner.  At  least  St.  Luke 
speaks  of  women  who  were  preparing  spices  and 
ointments  before  the  beginning  of  the  Sabbath, 
whereas  others  did  this  on  the  following  evening 
after  the  Sabbath  was  over.  At  any  rate,  we  may 
remain  a  moment  to  survey  somewhat  closer  the 
sepulchre  and  its  environment. 


LAST  EVENTS  OF  THE  PASSION  409 

The  sepulchre  of  Christ  was  in  a  garden.  Our 
first  parents  had  sinned  in  a  garden.  In  a  gar- 
den Christ  had  begun  His  passion.  He  had  been 
taken  captive  in  a  garden.  In  a  garden,  there- 
fore the  history  of  His  passion  should  end.  In 
gardens,  moreover,  seeds  are  deposited  in  the 
ground.  Now  Christ's  body  was  the  most  precious 
seed  ever  pfanted  in  the  ground.  It  should  then 
be  deposited  in  a  garden.  Even  on  the  holy  day 
of  Easter  the  most  glorious  fruits  began  to  spring 
from  this  grain  of  seed,  inasmuch  as,  through  the 
power  of  this  Sacred  Body,  many  bodies  of  the 
departed  just  were  raised  to  life,  thus  exemplify- 
ing in  advance  the  general  resurrection  on  the 
last  day. 

The  sepulchre  itself  was  in  the  form  of  a  ro- 
tunda and  was  so  high  that  a  man  could  reach 
the  top  only  with  an  extended  hand.  It  con- 
sisted of  an  ante-chamber  and  of  a  small  burial 
place  destined  for  one  person.  The  entrance  to 
the  sepulchre  was  on  the  east  side  and  was  very 
low.  To  the  right,  on  the  north  side,  at  an  eleva- 
tion of  three  feet  was  the  tomb  proper.  It  was 
hollowed  out,  so  that  the  sacred  body  reposed  in 
a  real  stone  coffin. 

Of  this  grave,  the  evangelists  record  three  cir- 
cumstances. First,  that  it  was  hewn  in  a  rock. 
Therefore  the  apostles  could  not  possibly  steal 
the  body  by  constructing  a  subterranean  passage 
to  the  tomb.  Besides  the  corner  stone  must  rest 
upon  the  rock. 

Then  they  call  this  tomb  a  new  sepulchre   in 


410  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

which  no  one  had  yet  been  buried.  And  indeed 
the  respect  due  to  the  Sacred  Body  demanded  that 
it  be  no  more  brought  in  contact  with  the  bodies 
of  sinners.  Had  it  been  a  family  vault,  doubt 
might  have  been  entertained  on  Easter  day  as  to 
who  the  Risen  One  really  was.  And  had  it  even 
been  the  tomb  of  a  prophet,  one  might  have  said 
that  the  miracle  of  Eliseus  had  been  repeated; 
that  Christ  had  returned  to  life  not  through  His 
own  power  but  through  contact  with  the  body  of 
the  prophet.  The  sepulchre  of  Christ  was  new 
also  in  the  sense  that  it  had  never  had  its  equal. 
For  this  sepulchre  was  the  workroom  of  resurrec- 
tion; it  was  the  decay  and  destruction  of  all 
graves;  it  was  the  tomb  in  which  death  should 
die  the  death ;  ^  it  was  the  only  glorious  tomb.^ 

Thirdly  this  tomb  was  the  tomb  of  another.  As 
Christ  had  in  life  possessed  nothing  whereon  to 
lay  His  head,  He  possessed  nothing  in  death. 
Another 's  tomb !  Whoever  wishes  to  remain  in 
a  place  only  a  few  hours,  will  not  build  a  house 
of  his  own  there  but  he  will  seek  shelter  in  the 
house  of  another.  Another's  tomb!  He  who  dies 
not  for  his  own  sins  but  for  the  sins  of  others,  has 
not  even  a  right  to  a  tomb  of  his  own.  Another's 
tomb !  Whoever  acquires  a  tomb  of  his  own, 
thereby  declares  his  subjection  to  the  reign  of 
death.  Now  Christ  was  the  Lord  of  death.  The 
mighty  giant  had  become  somewhat  fatigued  on 
His    journey    of    thirty-three    years.     He    would 

1  Serin,  de  Pass.     Domini,  inter  spuria  S.  Athan.,  n.  5. 

2  Is.  53,  9,  according  to  the  Hebrew  text.     See  note  22. 


LAST  EVENTS  OF  THE  PASSION  411 

now  take  some  rest  and,  on  the  third  day,  He 
would  with  a  mighty  arm  deal  death  the  death- 
blow. Another's  tomb!  But  to  whom  did  it 
belong?  Whose  property  was  it?  It  belonged 
to  Joseph  of  Arimathea.  How  fortunate  and  en- 
viable this  man  was,  to  have  the  honor  of  fur- 
nishing, on  his  own  property,  a  resting  place  for 
the  body  of  the  God-Man.  How  his  courage  is 
now  rewarded !  How  his  spirit  of  sacrifice  is  now 
richly  indemnified ! 

But  does  not  the  same  good  fortune  fall  to  a 
city  and  to  a  Catholic  parish  which,  harbors  the 
same  Sacred  Body  under  the  appearance  of  bread 
on  its  own  property,  in  its  church?  Does  not  a 
greater  honor,  even,  redound  to  us,  when  we  receive 
the  Body  of  Christ  in  Holy  Communion?  Does 
not  our  heart  then  really  become  the  sepulchre 
of  the  Body  of  Jesus  Christ?  If  we  would,  then, 
receive  in  our  heart  the  Body  of  the  Lord,  no  one 
else  should  dwell  therein,  neither  the  world  nor 
the  evil  one.  It  ought  to  be  even  free  from 
venial  sin.  It  ought  to  be  as  pure  and  immaculate 
as  were  the  linen  cloths.  It  ought  to  be  replete, 
furthermore,  with  the  costliest  spices,  with  the 
good  odor  of  all  Christian  virtues.  And  after 
we  have  devoutly  received  the  Body  of  the  Lord 
into  our  heart,  we  should  not  forget  to  close  the 
door.  We  ought  also  to  roll  a  large  stone  before 
that  heart  so  that  no  wild  beast  may  find  it  in  its 
power  to  deprive  us  of  the  Eedeemer. 

The  men  and  women,  then,  had  accompanied 
the  Blessed  Virgin  back  to  Jerusalem  and,  accord- 


412  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

ing  to  the  commandment^  they  rested  on  the  Sab- 
bath. Nor  were  they  in  the  right  mood  for  any 
worldly  matters.  Their  minds  and  hearts  were 
with  the  crucified  Redeemer.  The  women  thought 
of  the  ointment  which  they  would  purchase  after 
sundown  and  take  to  the  sepulchre  on  the  follow- 
ing day.  Peter  and  Magdalene,  however,  who, 
on  the  preceding  day,  had  shed  so  many  bitter 
tears,  spent  the  Sabbath  in  mourning  and  sor- 
row. 

We  may  here  recognize  the  best  preparation 
for  the  approaching  feast  of  Easter.  Removed 
from  the  world  and  its  tumult,  let  us  meditate 
with  devotion  upon  the  sufferings  of  the  crucified 
Redeemer.  Let  us  consider  what  we  may  do  for 
His  honor.  First  of  all,  let  us  deplore  our  sins 
out  of  love  for  the  Saviour.  This  is  also  the  best 
preparation  for  that  paschal  feast  which  shall 
close  the  passion-tide  of  this  life  and  which  shall 
last  not  merely  one  day  but  for  all  eternity. 


CHAPTER  XXXIY. 

THE  WATCH  AT   THE  TOMB 

*'  And  they  departing,  made  the  sep- 
ulchre sure,  sealing  the  stone,  and 
setting  guards." 

(St.  Matthew,  xxvii.,  66.) 

Undoubtedly  some  of  the  chief-priests  and  phar- 
isees  observed  from  a  distance  the  burial  of  the 
Redeemer.  They  desired,  above  all,  to  assure 
themselves  that  the  One  Whom  they  hated  was 
really  put  under  ground  and  covered  by  the  dark- 
ness of  the  tomb.  Otherwise  their  triumph  would 
not  be  complete,  and  they  could  not  abandon 
themselves  to  the  undisturbed  festal  joys  of  the 
Paschal  Sabbath.  The  chief-priests  were  also 
much  interested  in  knowing  the  exact  spot  where 
Christ  had  been  buried.  As  the  Redeemer's 
prophecy  regarding  His  resurrection  was  well 
known  to  them,  they  probably  intended  to  open 
the  sepulchre  after  three  days,  show  the  decaying 
corpse  to  the  Jews  and  Gentiles,  and  thus  com 
pletely  unmask  the  deceiver  and  perpetuate  the 
triumph  over  the  Crucified.  Wherefore  they  foimd 
no  little  satisfaction  in  perceiving  that  the  grave 
was  closed  and  that  a  great  stone  was  rolled  before 
its  entrance.  They  had  attained  their  object. 
413 


414  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

Things  could  not  have  proceeded  more  to  their 
liking. 

One  would  think  that  now,  after  accomplishing 
their  deed,  the  chief -priests  would  quietly  and 
contentedly  go  home  to  enjoy  the  paschal  lamb 
in  the  sacredness  of  the  family  circle  and  to  take 
repose  after  a  sleepless  night  and  the  fatiguer.  of 
the  day.  But  '* there  is  no  peace  to  the  wicked."  ^ 
The  image  of  the  Murdered,  Whom,  when  He  was 
yet  in  life,  they  had  never  feared,  now  rose  sud- 
denly like  a  phantom  before  their  souls  filling 
them  with  awful  terrors.  It  was  the  revenge  of 
conscience.  It  was  the,  agony  of  the  murderer 
who  imagines  that  he  sees  his  victim  arise  from 
the  grave  and  continually  follow  him.  The  con- 
sternation and  confusion  of  the  chief-priests  and 
Pharisees  was  increased  by  their  remembering  the 
sign  of  the  prophet  Jonas,  to  which  the  Deceased 
had  Himself  once  referred  them.  Now  if  Christ, 
like  Lazarus,  should  in  spite  of  all  come  forth 
from  the  sepulchre  by  means  of  diabolical  art 
and  show  Himself  in  Jerusalem,  their  confusion 
and  shame  would  be  beyond  all  bounds. 

In  order,  therefore,  to  secure  themselves  against 
the  Redeemer  resting  in  the  tomb,  to  effectually 
take  away  from  Christ  the  possibility  of  leaving 
it,  and  to  defend  themselves  against  the  Dead,  the 
chief-priests  and  pharisees  determine  to  surround 
the  sepulchre  with  soldiers.  In  this  they  resem- 
bled people  driven  to  insanity  by  confusion  and 

lis.,  xlviii.,  22. 


THE  WATCH  AT  THE  TOMB  415 

terror.     **For  who  hath  ever  heard,"  exclaims  an 
ancient   inspired    orator/   referring   to   this   very 
incident,  "that  a  dead  man  ever  begins  a  war." 
Let  us  now  consider  ^ 
I.     The  negotiations  between  the  chief-priests 
and    Pilate   concerning    the   watch   at   the 
tomb  and 
II.     The  watch  over  the  tomb  itself. 

I. 

An  authoritative  permit  for  the  placing  of  a 
watch  was  the  first  thing  required.  Therefore 
after  sundown,  on  the  evening  of  Good  Friday, 
the  chief-priests  and  pharisees  went  together  in 
great  numbers  to  Pilate,  and  on  this  holy  day 
they  unhesitatingly  entered  the  house  which,  in 
scrupulous  punctiliousness,  they  had  not  dared 
to  enter  in  the  morning.  For  that  is  an  erroneous 
opinion  which  maintains  that  the  guard  was  pro- 
cured and  stationed  at  the  tomb  on  Saturday 
morning.  For  in  that  case  the  enemies  of  Christ 
would  surely  have  asserted  after  the  resurrection 
that  the  body  had  been  stolen  by  the  disciples 
during  the  night  of  Friday,  the  tomb  then  being 
unguarded.  But  they  did  not  wait  till  Saturday 
morning. 

Without  a  doubt,  Pilate  must  have  been  much 
surprised  at  the  unexpected  evening  visit  and  even 
more  at  the  unwonted  salutation.     "Sir,"  was  the 

1  Amphilochius,  Serm.  de  sepult.  Domini. 

2  St.  Matthew,  xxvii.,  62-66. 


416  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

word  with  which  the  chief-priests  and  pharisees 
addressed  him.  How  very  submissive,  how  very- 
polite.  They  in  reality  hated  Pilate  and  despised 
him  from  their  inmost  souls  as  being  unclean  and 
an  idolater.  The  mere  thought  that  he  held  sway 
over  them  in  the  name  of  the  emperor,  the  mere 
memory  of  former  enactments  of  his,  could  at 
other  times  drive  them  into  a  frenzy.  They  had 
been  very  rough  even  in  the  morning  during  the 
trial.  In  anger,  ay,  in  fury,  they  then  had  cried, 
''If  thou  release  this  man,  thou  art  no  friend  of 
Caesar."  Now,  however,  when,  in  secret  terror, 
they  desire  a  favor  of  him,  they  appear  to  be  sud- 
denly metamorphosed. 

They  begin  their  address  by  saying,  ^*Sir,  we 
have  remembered,  that  that  seducer  said,  while 
he  was  yet  alive:  After  three  days  I  will  rise 
again."  This,  then,  is  all  that  they  remember, 
all  that  they  have  retained  of  His  sermons.  The 
good  which  the  Saviour  had  done,  the  wonders 
He  had  worked,  and  the  truths  he  had  taught,  they 
have  completely  forgotten.  ''We  have  remem- 
bered," they  say  to  explain  why  they  had  not 
demanded  the  body  in  the  afternoon  to  preclude 
all  fraud.  They  pretend  that  the  thought  struck 
them  only  later.  "That  the  seducer."  How 
shameful !  The  sense  of  decorum  and  of  human- 
ity prompted  even  the  pagans  to  say  of  the  dead 
only  what  was  good.  "While  he  was  yet  alive." 
He  is  therefore  dead.  Accept,  0  ye  chief -priests, 
our  hearty  thanks  for  this  certificate  of  death. 
We  shall  know  how  to  use  it.     ' '  The  seducer  said : 


THE  WATCH  AT  THE  TOMB  417 

After  three  days  I  will  rise  again."  Well,  we 
shall  not  blame  you  for  rendering  the  Saviour's 
words  incorrectly,  for  you  are  excited.  For 
Christ  really  said  that  He  would  rise  again  on 
the  third  day} 

The  chief-priests  and  pharisees  thereupon 
begged  Pilate  to  com  m  and  that  the  tomb  be 
guarded.  Christ,  then,  had  really  been  buried. 
The  priests  knew  the  place.  They  had  minutely 
observed  everything.  They  did  not,  of  course, 
manifest  the  true  reason  of  their  petition,  i.  e., 
their  fear  of  the  Crucified  and  their  anxiety  lest 
He  come  forth  from  the  tomb.  Their  vagaries 
might  have  caused  Pilate  to  laugh  at  them  as  being 
children  and  fools.  They,  therefore,  with  their 
usual  hypocrisy,  spoke  of  their  fear  lest  the  dis- 
ciples steal  the  body  and  this  put  them,  as  it  were, 
from  the  frying-pan  into  the  fire.  The  poor, 
timid  disciples!  What  would  it  profit  them  to 
steal  the  body?  Were  Christ  not  to  rise  from  the 
dead,  they  would  be  the  deluded  ones. 

*'The  last  error,"  the  chief -priests  continued  in 
their  address,  ''would  be  worse  than  the  first." 
By  the  first  error  they  meant  the  doctrine  of 
Christ's  Divinity  and  ]\Iessianic  dignity.  Worse 
than  this  would  be  the  last,  that  is  to  say,  a  ru- 
mor, brought  about  by  the  disciples  stealing  His 
body,  that  Christ  had  arisen.  This  would  natu- 
rally also  spread  and  render  indestructible  the  first 
error.     It  would  bring  to  Christ  many  new  ad- 

iSee  note  23. 
27 


418  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

herents.  It  would  likewise  draw  down  the  ire 
of  the  people  on  themselves  as  well  as  on  Pilate, 
and  they  would  all  have  to  dread  the  vengeance 
of  Christ's  friends  on  account  of  His  execution. 
It  might  even  produce  a  political  upheaval  of  far 
greater  extent  than  was  to  be  feared  during  the 
life-time  of  the  Redeemer.  Command  therefore, 
Pilate,  *'the  sepulchre  to  be  guarded  until  the 
third  day."  Again  they  are  the  obsequious  serv- 
ants. God  grant  that  with  many  a  converted  sin- 
ner the  last  things  be  not  worse  than  the  first. 
God  grant  that  future  storms  gathering  over  the 
individual  or  over  the  entire  Church,  may  not, 
owing  to  a  lack  of  watchfulness,  be  more  destruc- 
tive than  all  preceding  ones!  We  ought  also  to 
take  precautions. 

The  petition  of  the  chief-priests  and  pharisees 
was  graciously  acceded  to.  Whether  shrewd  Pi- 
late was  moved  by  the  reasons  submitted  to  grant 
the  request,  may  well  be  considered  doubtful.  It 
is  more  probable  that  he  perceived  the  fear  and 
dread  on  the  part  of  the  chief-priests  in  regard 
to  this  Innocent  Man  Whose  death  they  had  ac- 
complished and  that  inwardly  he  laughed  at  and 
ridiculed  the  alleged  reasons  and  the  petitioners 
themselves.  But,  on  the  one  hand,  Pilate  did  not 
care  to  offend  these  prominent  men  and,  on  the 
other,  he  was  heartily  tired  of  the  whole  affair, 
as  well  because  his  own  conduct  toward  the  Re- 
deemer furnished  him  with  abundant  matter  for 
an  examination  of  conscience  that  evening  as  be- 
cause the   divers  and  in  part  miraculous  events 


THE  WATCH  AT  THE  TOMB  419 

of  the  day  had  depressed  him  and  rendered  him 
melancholy.  He  sought,  therefore,  to  rid  himself 
of  his  annoying  visitors  the  best  way  he  could, 
and  immediately  conceded  what  they  asked  for. 
Such  is  often  the  real  sentiment  underlying 
worldly  politeness.  Externally  there  is  nothing 
but  what  is  amiable,  obsequious  and  flattering, 
nothing  but  hypocritical  compliments,  whilst  in- 
wardly there  lie  concealed  aversion  and  contempt. 

But  in  order  not  to  expose  himself  to  further 
entanglements  and  responsibilities,  Pilate  left  the 
whole  matter  to  the  discretion  of  the  chief-priests. 
''You  have  a  guard, '^  said  he,  "yesterday  evening 
I  placed  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  soldiers  at 
your  disposal.  Go  and  take  them  and  guard  it 
as  you  know."  It  was  again  providential  that 
the  command  of  the  watch  at  the  tomb  was  en- 
trusted to  the  chief-priests.  Now  they  could  notj 
without  stultifying  themselves,  reproach  Pilate 
that  his  soldiers  had  sold  the  body  of  the  Saviour 
to  the  disciples.  They  had  the  supervison  and 
any  fraud  or  neglect  that  might  occur  would  be 
imputed  to  themselves. 

With  many  thanks  and  expressions  of  respect 
and  consideration,  the  chief-priests  and  pharisees 
finally  took  leave  of  Pilate,  both  parties  being 
filled,  probably,  more  than  ever  before,  with  mu- 
tual contempt  and  disgust.  What  a  mean,  con- 
temptible and  disgusting  role  was  plaj^ed  through- 
out the  history  of  the  Redeemer's  Passion  by  these 
men,  who  should  have  been  models  of  honorable 
and   upright   conduct!     Still   we   may  learn   one 


420  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

thing  from  tliem.  The  prudence  and  zeal  to  which 
hatred  for  the  living  Saviour  had  impelled  the 
chief-priests  and  pharisees  did  not  depart  from 
them  even  in  their  insane  fear  of  the  dead  Sav- 
iour. Had  they  been  used  only  in  a  good  cause  I 
Wherefore  our  prudence  should  be  a  holy  pru- 
dence and  our  zeal,  a  holy  zeal.  Our  zeal  should 
not  spring  from  fear  of  the  dead  Redeemer  but 
from  love  for  Him.  The  end  and  object  of  our 
thoughts  and  efforts  should  be  the  salvation  of 
our  poor  souls,  the  general  welfare  of  our  fellow- 
men,  the  welfare  and  spread  of  the  Catholic 
Church,  the  increase  of  the  love  of  the  Crucified  Re- 
deemer and  the  greater  honor  of  the  thrice  holy 
God. 

Let  us  now  consider  the  watch  itself  of  the 
sepulchre. 

II. 

Rejoicing  at  the  favorable  issue  of  the  audience, 
the  chief-priests  and  pharisees  hurried  from  the 
house  of  Pilate  to  the  neighboring  citadel.  Of  the 
hundred  and  twenty-five  men  granted  them  by 
the  governor,  they,  in  their  fear  of  the  Dead  Sav- 
iour, undoubtedly  demanded  quite  a  number.  For 
St.  Matthew  expressly  reports  that,  after  the  Res- 
urrection of  Christ,  ''several"  of  the  guards  ran 
to  the  city  to  announce  the  fact,  from  all  of  which 
one  may  conclude  that  a  strong  command  was 
there.  The  commandant  of  the  citadel  hesitated. 
It  had  never  yet  happened  that  his  command  had 
been  called  on  to  protect  the  tomb  of  an  executed 


THE  WATCH  AT  THE  TOMB  421 

criminal  against  robbery.  For  what  did  it  matter 
if  the  body  were  indeed  stolen?  And  the  Roman 
soldiers  who  were  anxious  for  repose,  were  not 
much  pleased,  either,  with  the  command  of  the 
governor,  especially  as  it  was  the  doings  of  the 
Jews,  whom  they  abominated.  They  scolded  and 
cursed.  But  the  jingling  coin  of  the  chief-priests 
soon  allayed  their  excitement  and  elicited  uni- 
versal consent.  Thereupon  the  chief-priests  and 
Pharisees  went  to  the  sepulchre  with  the  soldiers. 
It  was,  forsooth,  a  remarkable  procession  which 
thus  followed  the  Way  of  the  Cross  late  in  the 
evening  of  the  first  Good  Friday. 

According  to  credible  ancient  reports  mentioned 
by  the  ecclesiastical  writer  Nicephorus,^  the  stone 
was  first  attached  to  the  wall  with  iron  clamps. 
It  must  be  made  impossible  for  the  Dead  in  the 
tomb  to  roll  away  the  stone.  Neither  did  the 
chief-priests  trust  the  Roman  soldiers.  And  in 
this  they  were  right.  For  men  whom  money  can 
buy  will  also  for  money  betray  the  oath  of  fealty 
they  have  sworn.  If,  then,  any  one  should  offer  the 
soldiers  more  than  the  chief-priests  had  given  or 
at  least  promised  them,  they  probably  would  dis- 
pose of  the  body,  and  such  a  possibility  must  be 
prevented.  Therefore,  according  to  the  narrative 
of  Nicephorus,  the  priests  and  pharisees,  like 
stone  masons,  bored  with  iron  tools  through  the 
stone  and  the  wall.  Then  through  both  openings 
they  drove  a  large  iron  obtained  in  a  neighboring 

lEccl.  hist,  i.,  1,  c.  32.     He  refers  to  ancient  tradition; 
De  locis  Sanctis  inter  opp.     Van.  Bedae. 


422  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

smithy  and  solidly  connected  both  stone  and  wall. 
Furthermore,  several  other  iron  bands  were  passed 
around  the  stone  and  made  fast  in  the  wall.  Their 
work  was  seasoned  with  sarcastic  remarks  ad- 
dressed to  the  Redeemer,  such  as,  ''Now  come 
forth,  if  you  can,"  and  with  jeers  and  shouts  of 
laughter.  "What  the  chief-priests  were  doing  was, 
indeed,  servile  work  which  was  strictly  forbidden 
on  the  Paschal  Sabbath.  But,  thought  they,  the 
deceiver  in  the  tomb  also  worked  on  the  Sabbath 
when  He  prepared  the  mud  to  rub  on  the  eyes  of 
the  man  born  blind. 

Then  the  tomb  was  sealed.  This  was  done 
either  by  drawing  a  cord  across  the  entrance  stone 
and  sealing  both  ends,  or,  if  the  entrance  stone 
was  held  by  a  transverse  beam,  by  uniting  both 
stone  and  beam  with  a  seal.  The  seal  may  have 
been  that  of  the  city,  but  more  likely  it  was 
the  official  seal  of  the  Sanhedrim.  The  Dead 
would  certainly  respect  the  seal  of  the  wise  Coun- 
cil and  forbear  from  making  any  attempt  at  res- 
urrection. 

Finally  the  guard  was  stationed.  The  chief- 
priests  to  whom  Pilate  had  entrusted  the  entire 
affair,  assigned  to  each  soldier  his  post.  The  tomb 
was  entirely  surrounded  by  guards.  Thus,  in 
coming  out  of  the  sepulchre,  Christ  would  neces- 
sarily fall  into  the  hands  of  a  soldier.  In  some 
representations  one  may  see  a  soldier  occupying  a 
position  even  on  the  top  of  the  sepulchre.  For 
the  Saviour  might  possibly  escape  through  the 
top.     The  guard  had  orders  to  make  Christ  a  cap- 


THE  WATCH  AT  THE  TOMB  423 

tive,  in  case  He  opened  the  entrance  to  the  grave 
or  sought  an  exit  through  some  other  part  of  the 
rock.  O  ye  chief -priests !  One  prophecy  stiU 
lacked  its  accompHshment.  Saul  had  placed  his 
mailed  satellites  before  the  dwelling  of  David 
whom  he  would  destroy.  Whereupon  ]\Iichol 
showed  David  an  egress  through  which  he  fled. 
Stand  guard,  then,  ye  imperial  soldiers,  before  the 
grave  of  the  Lord  and  see  whether  or  not  you 
shall  succeed  better  than  the  satellites  of  Saul. 

If  ever  the  words  of  Holy  Writ  were  accom- 
plished, it  certainly  was  now:  "I  will  destroy  the 
wisdom  of  the  wise  and  the  prudence  of  the  pru- 
dent I  will  reject.''^  '^O  unfortunate  and  mis- 
erable Jew ! ' '  exclaims  in  indignation  an  ancient 
ecclesiastical  writer,^  "Who  broke  the  chains  of 
death,  can  He  not  break  the  seal  on  the  tomb? 
He  Who  like  a  hero  overcame  hell,  shall  He  fear 
the  locks  on  the  tomb?  Seal  the  stone,  place  your 
menials,  encircle  the  tomb  with  a  thousand 
guards!  Thus  shalt  thou  render  more  glorious 
the  work  of  Christ's  Resurrection,  glorious  as  it 
is  in  itself.  For  thou  art  placing  there  spectators 
and  witnesses  of  His  Resurrection  and  thou  art 
preparing  for  Him  servants  who  shall  annouace 
His  wonderful  works.'' 

What  this  ancient  writer  said  to  the  enemies 
of  Christ,  we  can  also  say  to  the  enemies  of  the 
Bride  of  Jesus  Christ:  "O  ye  impious  powers  of 
this  world,  ye  powers  of  darkness,  ye  diabolical 

il.  Cor.,  i.,  19. 

2  Serm.  de  Pass.  Domini,  inter  spuria  S.  Athan.,  n.  4. 


424  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

powers!  Concoct  your  plans  against  the  Holy 
Catholic  Church!  Excogitate  the  most  astute 
schemes!  Exhaust  all  the  tricks  of  hypocritical 
diplomacy,  all  the  power  and  all  the  fraudulent 
methods  of  your  secret  society  craft!  Put  in 
chains  the  Bride  of  the  Redeemer,  crucify  her, 
bury  her  and  surround  her  grave  with  your  regi- 
ments! God,  reigning  in  heaven,  -svill  laugh  you 
to  scorn.  The  sooner  Good  Friday  arrives,  the 
sooner  our  holy  mother,  the  Catholic  Church,  will 
celebrate  the  feast  of  Easter. '* 

After  the  chief-priests  and  pharisees  had  again 
recommended  to  the  guard  a  conscientious  fulfill- 
ment of  their  duty,  and  promised  them  a  liberal 
reward,  they  returned  home  hurriedly  and  in  an 
exuberant  frame  of  mind.  But  they  arrived  too 
late  for  a  share  in  the  paschal  lamb.  There  was 
nothing  left  of  the  Old  Testament  but  the  offal. 

However,  before  we  bid  adieu  to  the  chief -priests 
and  Pharisees,  let  us  thank  them  heartily  for  the 
hint  they  have  given  us  in  providing  a  watch  for 
the  sepulchre.  For  indeed,  our  good  resolutions, 
even  if  they  were  as  solid  as  a  rock,  can  be  broken 
and  crushed  by  the  enemies  of  our  souls.  It  is 
easy  for  them  to  tear  away  the  seal  of  love  which 
was  impressed  on  our  hearts  in  holy  Baptism.  If 
we  would  be  sure  that  the  Redeemer  who  dwells 
within  us  by  His  grace  be  not  stolen  away  from 
us,  we  must  place  a  guard  around  our  hearts.  Ye 
chief-priests  will  certainly  not  blame  us  for  not 
calling  upon  you  or  your  soldiers  for  this  purpose. 
For  if  I  am  to  believe  what  you  asserted  on  Easter 


THE  WATCH  AT  THE  TOMB  425 

Sunday,  your   guards  slept  instead  of  watching, 
and  whilst  they  were   asleep,  the   disciples   stole 
the  body,  and  when  the  guards,  plunged  as  they 
were  in  a  profound  sleep,  saw  all  that,  they  never 
even  ran  after  the  wicked  disciples  to  take  away 
from  them  their  booty.     No,  your  watch  is  not  of 
the   right  sort;  we  cannot  rely  on  them.     When 
the  pious  women  came  to  the  tomb  early  on  the 
third  day,  it  was  empty.     We,  therefore,  turn  to 
those  of  whom  King  David  sang  that   God  had 
intended  them  to  be  our  guardians,  and  the  holy 
angels,  who  together  held  the  death-watch  at  the 
sepulchre  of  their  Creator,  will  deem  it  an  honor 
to  defend  against  all  enemies  the  Redeemer  repos- 
ing in  our  hearts  as  in  a  tomb. 

Indeed,  we  are  not  afraid  of  the  apostles  of  the 
Lord,  whom  you  chief-priests,  pretended  to  fear. 
Ah!  no!  we  love  the  holy  apostles;  we  love  them 
with  all  our  heart,  Peter  and  John  and  James 
and  all  the  others,  not  forgetting  Thomas,  who 
with  his  hand  directed  us  to  the  Divine  Heart. 
But  those  we  do  fear  are  the  apostles  of  unbelief, 
the  apostles  of  immorality,  those  seducers,  the 
rebellious  flesh  and  the  infernal  spirits. 

Hurry  hither,  then,  ye  heavenly  spirits,  ye  an- 
gels of  God,  and  take  charge  of  the  tomb.  Shield 
the  Saviour,  protect  Him,  defend  Him  that  He  be 
not  stolen  from  us.  Thou  especially  who  hast 
overcome  Satan,  Prince  of  the  heavenly  hosts,  un- 
conquered.  hero  of  God,  Saint  Michael!  Thou 
Protector  of  the  Church  Militant!  With  thy 
shield  and  sword  protect  her  who  is,  as  it  were, 


426  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

being  pressed  toward  the  tomb,  the  Bride  of  the 
Departed  Redeemer.  Enchain  the  unchained 
forces  of  hell,  throw  them  back  into  the  abyss 
and  lead  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  on  to  a  glori- 
ous victory,  to  a  glorious  triumph.  Help  us  also, 
who  are  the  children  of  this  Holy  Mother,  help  us 
combat,  help  us  overcome  the  enemy,  thou  who 
art  the  protector  of  us  all.  Upon  thee  we  rely  in 
dangers  and  temptations,  on  thee  we  rely  in  life, 
on  thee  we  rely  in  death,  in  the  last  combat,  and 
we  shall  never  be  confounded. 

The  grave,  then,  is  locked,  sealed  and  well 
guarded.  We  may  remain  without  anxiety;  the 
disciples  will  not  rob  us  of  the  Saviour.  With  all 
peace  of  heart,  then,  and  collectedness  of  mind,  we 
can,  by  prayer  and  penance,  prepare  ourselves 
for  the  holy  feast  of  Easter  and,  with  the  sorrow- 
ful Mother  and  all  of  the  Crucified  Redeemer's 
friends  with  whom  we  have  become  acquainted 
on  the  Way  of  the  Passion,  await  the  moment  in 
which  the  cry  of  victory  shall  resound:  Surrexit, 
non  est  hie!  Christ  is  risen.  He  is  no  longer  in 
the   tomb.     Alleluja. 

A.  M.  D.  G. 


TEE  END, 


NOTES 
1.     (page  5.) 

It  has  been  the  concordant  teaching  of  all  stand- 
ard theologians  for  many  centuries  past  that  the  soul 
of  Christ,  from  the  moment  of  its-  creation,  was  in 
possession  of  the  beatific  vision  of  God.  It  is  true 
that  no  ecumenical  council  has  ever  declared  this  teach- 
ing to  be  a  dogma  of  faith,  but  it  is  rightly  deduced 
from  many  passages  of  Holy  Writ  and  from  other  cer- 
tain truths  of  faith  with  which  the  former  are  in 
natural  coherence.  This  vision  of  God  which  consti- 
tutes the  essential  beatitude  of  the  saints  of  heaven, 
consists  in  the  souPs  seeing  God  directly,  face  to  face, 
as  He  is,  and,  as  a  result  of  this  clear  vision,  in  its 
being  drawn  by  unspeakable  love  to  God,  the  Supreme 
Good,  and  being  united  to  Him  most  intimately.  From 
this  vision  and  love  there  ought  naturally  to  arise  the 
greatest  satisfaction  and  joy  and  the  most  intense  de- 
light, hence  complete  happiness.  Just  as  naturally  an 
intense,  overflowing  joy  ought  to  dissipate  all  sensa- 
tions of  external  and  internal  pain.  Still  faith  teaches 
that  Christ  did  suffer  external  and  internal  pains  and 
that  He  was,  as  He  said  Himself,  "  sad  unto  death." 
Such  a  union  of  beatitude  and  passibility  is  indeed 
not  imaginable  in  the  saints  in  heaven.  For,  arrived 
at  their  eternal  goal,  they  have  laid  aside  the  qualities 
of  mundane  wayfarer,  and  they  experience  henceforth 
only  such  influences  coming  from  God  as  are  co- 
ordinate with  their  beatitude.  But  Christ  was  at  the 
427 


428  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

same  time  in  possession  of  the  goal  and  still  an  earthly 
pilgrim;  He,  therefore,  was  in  a  double  state  and  ex- 
perienced divers  influences  coiTesponding  to  this  two- 
fold condition,  that  is  to  say.  He  experienced  the  Di- 
vine co-operation  with  His  acti\dty  in  accordance  with 
this  double  state. 

Joy  and  grief  can  co-exist  in  one  human  will  if  the 
power  of  perception  is,  at  the  same  time,  impressed 
by  two  diverse  objects,  an  agreeable  and  a  disagxeea- 
ble  one,  and  if  it  yields  to  both  impressions.  Now  it 
is  indeed  true  that  the  soul  of  Christ  was  immersed  with 
all  the  energy  and  power  of  its  activity  in  the  infinitely 
attractive  vision  of  the  Divine  Essence;  but  as  the 
Eedeemer  was  at  the  same  time  in  the  condition  of  an 
earthly  pilgrim,  and  had  assumed  a  passible  body,  God 
could,  by  granting  the  Divine  co-operation  which  cor- 
responded to  this  condition,  mamtain  the  soul's  en- 
tire attentiveness  directed  to  the  Passion  as  well  as  the 
entire  activity  of  the  will  coiTesponding  to  this  at- 
tentiveness. That  Christ  should  thus  at  the  same  time 
and  in  a  twofold  condition  develop  a  peculiar  and, 
in  truth,  most  important  activity,  far  from  being  an 
imperfection,  was  rather  a  greater  perfection.  Now  if 
all  this  was  as  described,  we  find  in  Christ  the  sensa- 
tion of  pain  and  the  natural  repugnance  of  the  will  in 
all  its  strength  simultaneously  with  the  beatific  vision. 
Moreover,  the  fact  that  Christ  exercised  the  entire 
activity  proper  to  one  who  had  arrived  at  the  goal 
not  only  did  not  hinder  or  diminish  the  pain  and  the 
sadness  which  He  felt  as  an  earthly  pilgrim,  but  it 
rather  increased  and  aggravated  them.  For  the  vision 
and  love  corresponding  to  the  one  condition  also  helped 
the  other  to  a  greater  perfection  of  perception  and  of 
activity  of  the  will,  and  thus  the  miion  with  the  God- 
head not  only  did  not  render  the  sacred  Humanity  of 


NOTES 


429 


Christ   impervious    to    suffering,    but   it   increased    its 
passibility,  as  it  were,  to  an  infinite  degree. 

With  all  this,  the  proposition  stands  that,  according 
to  the  natural  course  of  things,  superabundant  joy  and 
keen  suffering  are  uicompatible.  The  above  is  offered 
merely  as  an  explanation  of  the  manner  in  which  God 
mamtamed  the  compatibility  of  the  two  in  the  soul  of 

Christ. 

This  diflacult  question  is  clearly  and  solidly  treated  ni 
W.  Wilmers',  S.  J.,  Lehrbuch  der  Religion  II.  (4th 
edit.),  616  sqq.  Confer  p.  156  sqq.  Confer  also 
Franzelin,  Tract,  de  Verb.  Inc.  thes.  42,  p.  433. 

2.     (page  25.) 
The  words  of  Jesus  (St.  Matthew,  xxvi.,  45),  "Sleep 
ye  now  and  take  your  rest,"  apparently  contradictmg 
the  preceding  words,  "Watch  ye  and  pray,"   and  the 
words  directly  foUowmg,  "Rise,  let  us  go,"   are  veiy 
remarkable    and    are    differently    explamed.     Some    in- 
terpreters   are    of    t)ie    opinion    that    Christ    said    the 
words,  "  Sleep  ye  now  and  take  your  rest,"  by  way  of 
holy   irony.     Sleep,   that   is,   if  ye   can,  now   that   the 
hostile  force  is  nigh  and  their  weapons  are  resounding. 
The  foUowmg  words,  "now  it  is  enough  — rise"  Avere 
said  by  Christ,  according  to  them,  in  a  more  serious 
tone  to  summon  the  apostles  to  join  Him  in  meeting 
the  enemy.     Many  mterpreters,  however,  will  not  con- 
cede   that   irony,   no    matter   how   well    justified,    pro- 
ceeded from  the  lips  of  the  Saviour  m  such  a  serious 
hour.    Not  a  few  believe  with  St.   Augustme  that,  by 
these  words,  Jesus  really  allowed  the  disciples  to  take 
some  sleep  and  that  then,  after  some  lapse  of  time,  he 
ordered  them  to  rise.     But  how  does  this  opmion  agree 
with    the    command    immediately    preceding     (v.    41), 
"  Watch  ye  and  pray "  %    For  this  reason   St.  Chry- 


430  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

sostom  (in  Mattb.  horn.  83.  n.  1),  believes  tbat  Jesus 
spoke  tbus  because  He  would  not  plainly  reproacb  tbe 
disciples,  as  He  recognized  tbe  uselessness  of  re- 
proacb at  tbe  present  moment.  He  saw  tbat  it  would 
only  tend  to  bewilder  tbem  more,  and,  besides,  in  a  few 
moments  tbey  would  take  to  fligbt.  Cbrist  needed  not 
tbeir  belp;  His  deliveiy  to  tbe  enemy  was  a  certainty 
at  any  rate.  According  to  tbis  explanation  tbe  word  of 
Cbrist  would  mean,  "I  do  not  wisb  to  cbide  you;  sleep 
on  if  ye  be  c.z  weak  as  tbat."  Even  in  tbis  sense,  tbe 
words  contain  an  indirect  reproacb,  but  no  sarcasm. 
Tbe  sense  is  more  moderate  and  brings  tbe  perfect  res- 
ignation of  tbe  Saviour  beautifully  into  relief,  wbere- 
f ore  we  prefer  tbis  last  explanation. 

Upbeld  by  St.  Luke,  xxii.,  46,  some  interpreters  be- 
lieve tbat  tbe  Saviour  again  summoned  the  disciples  to 
prayer  immediately  before  His  capture.  Tben  began 
for  tbem  in  its  greatest  extent  tbe  danger  of  wavering 
in  tbe  faitb.  Wliat  tben  would  be  more  natural  and 
more  necessaiy  tban  tbe  repeated  summons?  Besides 
St.  Luke,  xxii.,  46,  agrees  veiy  well  witb  St.  Mattbew, 
xxvi.,  45.  Cbrist  could  bave  said  both.  Otber  inter- 
preters, bowever,  are  of  tbe  opinion  tbat  St.  Luke, 
wbo  in  bis  narrative  does  not  disting-uisb  different  acts 
of  prayer,  merely  recapitulates  (xxii.,  46)  tbe  cbief  con- 
tents of  tbe  repeated  addresses.  Tbe  subsequent  words 
"  adbuc  eo  loquente  "  do  not  contradict  tbis  explanation. 
According  to  tbe  evangelists'  manner  of  speaking,  tbis 
expression  does  not  necessarily  refer  to  tbe  words  im- 
mediately   preceding. 

3.     (page  53.) 

Tbe  acceptation  tbat  tbe  wasbing  of  tbe  feet  took 
place  before  tbe  institution  of  tbe  Bl.  Eucharist,  will 
certainly   not   meet   witb   contradiction,   in   wbicb   case 


NOTES  431 

the  narrative  of  St.  John,  xiii.,  2-31,  decides  the  present 
question.     Directly   after  the  washing  of  the  feet    (v. 

12)  Jesus  refers  to  the  betrayer  and  again,  immediately, 
a  second  time  (v.  21  sq.)  ;  then,  without  any  interrup- 
tion. He  hands  him  the  dipped  bread  (v.  26),  and  he 
"having  received  the  morsel,  went  out  immediately/' 
In  this  close  and  concise  narrative  the  institution  of 
the  Bl.  Eucharist  cannot  find  room;  it  must  have  oc- 
curred later.  Of  a  truth,  St.  Matthew  (xxvi.,  25  sq.) 
and  St.  Mark,  (xxiv.,  18  sq.)  refer  it  to  the  time  after 
the  traitor  had  heard  from  Christ  that  it  was  he  who 
would  betray  Him.  Ancient  testimony  is  also  at  hand 
showing  that  Judas  was  not  present  at  the  institution. 
Thus  Tatian,  a  disciple  of  the  holy  martyr  Justin,  in 
his  Concordance  of  the  Gospels,  called  Diatessaron, 
records  the  institution  as  taking  place  after  the  de- 
parture of  Judas  and  properly  begins  its  description 
with  the  words  of  St.  John,  xiii.,  31:  "Now  is  the  son 
of  man  glorified,  etc."  Victor  of  Capua  in  his  Con- 
cordance of  the  Gospels  (Migne  1,  68,  CIO)  says  the 
same;  likewise  the  so  called  Apostolic  Constitutions  5, 
14.  This  is  also  the  teaching  of  St.  Hilary  (Comment, 
in  Matth.  30,  2),  of  St.  Ephrem,  of  St.  Cyril  of  Alex- 
andria, of  St.  Aphraates,  of  Rupertus  (in  Jo.  6,  71), 
of  Pope   Innocent   III.    (De  sacro   altaris  mysterio   4, 

13)  who,  after  giving  both  opinions,  concludes  c-3  fol- 
lows: "Quid  ergo  est  vobis  in  hoc  casu  tenendum? 
Illud  forte  sine  praeiudicio  aliorum,  quod  Joannes  in- 
sinuat,  quia  cum  Judas  accepisset  bucellam  panis,  exiit 
continuo.  Christus  autem  post  alicz  cibos  tradidit 
Eucharistiam." —  This  is  also  the  opinion  of  Zacharias 
Chrysopolit,  Peter  Comestor,  Salmeron,  Barradius,  B. 
Lamy,  Turrianus  and  of  the  majority  of  more  recent 
interpreters.  Cf.  R.  Comely,  S.  J.,  Historica  et  Critica 
Introductio  in  Libros  Sacros  (Parisiis  1886.    Vol.  III. 


432  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

p.  298  sqq.)?  Corluy,  S.  J.,  Cominentarius  in  Ev.  St. 
Joannis  (Gandavi  1880,  p.  321-323)  and  J.  Knaben- 
bauer,  S.  J.,  Comment,  in  Matth,  ii.,  p.  439;  Comment. 
in  Luc.  p.  576;  Comment,  in  Jo.  p.  416  sq.  Li  reply- 
to  the  objection  that  some  of  the  Holy  Fathers  are  of 
the  opposite  opinion,  I  answer  that  our  opponents  in 
other  questions  are  themselves  most  pronouncedly  in 
the  minority. 

The  narration  of  St.  Luke  (xxii.,  21-23)  does  indeed 
appear  to  report  the  words  concerning  the  betrayal  as 
being  spoken  after  the  institution  of  the  Bl.  Eucharist. 
But  just  as  St.  Luke,  xxi.,  21,  37,  38,  adds  a  supple- 
mentary?^ statement  to  that  which  he  has  mentioned  be- 
fore, he  could  m  like  manner  add  xxii.,  21-23  by  way  of 
a  supplement  to  what  had  taken  place  during  the  paschal 
supper.  He  probably  did  not  wish  to  disturb  by  a  dis- 
cordant note  the  narrative  of  the  institution  of  the  Bl. 
Sacrament,  and  he  therefore  supplied  afterwards  the 
report  of  what  had  taken  place  before.  Besides,  accord- 
ing to  some  commentators,  St.  Luke,  xxii.,  46  (compare 
note  2)  and  especially  xxiii.,  36  (comp.  note  18)  also 
deviated  from  the  historical  series  of  events.  Accord- 
ing to  Dr.  Grimm  (Einheit  der  4  Ev.  p.  480)  the  dis- 
pute about  rank  among  the  disciples  and  the  reprimand 
of  the  Saviour  took  place  before  the  institution  of  the 
Bl.  Eucharist,  although  St.  Luke  tells  of  them  after 
mentioning  the  institution  (xxii.,  24-30).  According  to 
Dr.  Grimm  this  scene  ought  most  naturally  to  be  at- 
tached chronologically  to  the  foot-washing  scene.  Now 
if  this  passage  is  considered  a  supplement,  then,  for  the 
reasons  already  mentioned,  it  appears  even  more  reason- 
able to  begin  the  supplement  with  v.  21  instead  of  v. 
24.  Furthermore  the  followmg  is  to  be  considered: 
according  to  St.  Matth.  xxvi.,  21,  and  St.  Mark,  xiv.,  18, 
Christ  speaks  of  the  traitor,  and  the  disciples  put  their 


NOTES  433 

questions  during  the  supper  and  before  the  institution 
of  the  Bl.  Sacrament.  The  same  is  reported  by  St. 
John,  who  says  that  the  Redeemer  hands  Judas  the 
dipped  morsel.  It  is  manifest  then,  according  to  these 
narratives,  that  the  address  concerning  the  betrayer  and 
the  questions  of  the  disciples  occurred  during  the  legal 
supper  and  before  the  institution  of  the  Eucharist. 
Hereby  the  assumption  is  excluded  that  St.  Luke,  xxii., 
21,  is  to  be  understood  to  mean  that  the  same  address 
and  tine  same  questions  occurred  a  second  time  after 
the  supper  in  the  same  manner  as  they  had  occurred 
before  it.  Abbot  Rupert  of  Deutz  remarks  aptly: 
"  Verba  quae  in  priori  coena  Dominus  de  suo  traditore 
dixit,  Lucas  sic  praeposteravit,  ut  priorem  paschae 
coenam  et  sequentem  dominici  corporis  et  sanguinis  con- 
secrationem  narrando  conjungeret  et  tunc  demum  verba 
quae  in  convivio  dicta  sunt  continuaret."  And  Father 
Knabenbauer,  in  his  Comment,  in  Jo.  p.  410,  after  quot- 
ing this  text,  correctly  says :  "  Nisi  igitur,  quod  plane 
superfluum  est,  adstruere  volueris  et  Christum  et  dis- 
cipulos  bis,  i.  e.,  inter  coenandum  et  post  spatium  tem- 
poris  instituta  eucharistia  eadem  dixisse  (Christum: 
Luc.  22,  22:  vae  etc.,  discipulos  quaesivisse),  profecto 
narratio  apud  Lueam  ita  concipi  debet."  It  is 
not  against  the  chronological  order  appealed  to  in  favor 
cf  St.  Luke  that  he  first  reports  the  legal  supper,  then 
the  institution  and  that  he  finally  adds  what  was  stated 
orally  before.  Otherwise  the  passages  in  St.  Luke,  iii., 
19  and  xxi.,  37  would  also  lo  faults  against  the  rule: 
ex  ordine  scribere.  This  rule  refers  to  events  in  their 
totality:  Qui  ordo  ut  servetur  non  opus  est  ut  singulae 
uniuscujusque  eventus  conditiones  et  quasi  partes  etiam 
semper  ordine  temporis  enumerentur  (cf.  Eoiabenbauer, 
In  Luc.  p.  37). 

''  Cibum  turbae  duodenae  se  dat  suis  manibus "  that 

9« 


434  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

is,  suis  apostolis,  who  are  also  called  the  twelve  al- 
though they  were  only  11  or  (Paul  included)  13. 
Duodecim  is  just  as  fixed  an  official  name  as  decemviri, 
centumviri,  "the  40  Immortals,"  which  names  are  used 
even  if  the  number  be  not  complete. 

Supposing  however,  as  some  Holy  Fathers  and  in- 
terpreters (Dr.  Paul  Schanz,  Commentar  iiber  das 
Evangelium  des  St.  Lucas,  p.  509  and  510)  maintain, 
that  Judas  was  really  present  at  the  institution  of  the 
Bl.  Sacrament,  one  could  with  good  reason  ask  the  ques- 
tion whether  or  not  Judas  sinned  in  receiving  it.  The 
law  that  he  only  who  is  in  the  state  of  grace  may  re- 
ceive Holy  Communion  was  without  doubt  definitely 
mentioned  by  Christ,  if  not  proclaimed  in  expressed 
terms,  when  He  promised  the  Bl.  Sacrament  (St.  John, 
6).  For  food  and  drink  presupposes  life  They  do 
not  give  it.  They  maintain  and  strengthen  it.  The 
disciples  could,  then,  have  concluded  from  the  words  of 
promise  that  the  nourishment  presupposes  the  life  of 
the  soul,  which  is  sanctifying  grace.  But,  it  may  well 
be  doubted  that  the  disciples,  who  were  slow  of  under- 
standing, and  whom,  even  after  the  resurrection,  Christ 
upbraided  for  their  indocility  and  lack  of  comprehen- 
sion of  even  clearly  proposed  truth  (v.  g.  that  Christ 
would  rise  again),  really  had  understood  that  law  and 
drawn  from  the  words  of  promise  the  conclusion  that 
the  reception  of  that  food  in  the  state  of  mortal  sin, 
is  a  sin,  even  a  mortal  sin,  a  sacrilege.  This  applies 
especially  to  Judas,  who  had  lost  the  faith  before  the 
promise  was  made,  and  who  therefore  was  hardly 
capable  of  higher  comprehension  and  understanding. 
Taken  for  granted,  however,  that  Judas  had  rightly 
comprehended  and  understood  the  law,  it  is  doubtful 
whether  he  thought  of  it.  For  at  the  last  supper,  the 
institution  of  the  Holy  Eucharist  took  the  disciples  un- 


NOTES  435 

awares,  and  the-  invitation  to  partake  of  that  food  was 
spoken  before  they  knew  what  food  was  really  meant. 
Taken  for  granted,  finally,  that  Judas  really  thought 
of  it,  then  the  positive,  personal  urging  and  loving  in- 
vitation of  Christ:  Eat  ye,  drink  ye  all  of  this,  thou 
also  Judas,  for  no  one  is  excepted,  must  have  neces- 
sarily forced  upon  him  the  conviction  that,  in  his  dull- 
ness, he  had  misunderstood  the  words  of  promise,  and 
that  the  law  really  did  not  exist;  or  that,  notwithstand- 
ing his  sinfulness,  Christ  was  giving  him  the  permission 
to  receive  communion  and  dispensing  him  from  the  law. 
In  which  case  he  would  have  acted  in  good  faith  in  re- 
ceiving Holy  Communion,  and  he  could  not  have  sinned. 
If  one,  nevertheless,  maintained  that  Judas  with  a 
clear  knowledge  of  the  law  deliberately  committed  a 
sacrilege,  then  Christ's  manner  of  speaking  and  acting 
would  be  entirely  inexplicable.  The  objection  that 
Judas  was  inwardly  moved  by  the  Redeemer  to  renounce 
his  treacherous  design  and  to  be  contrite  for  it,  and  that 
on  this  supposition,  Christ  could  invite  him  to  partake 
of  the  food,  is  of  no  account,  because  Christ  knew  that 
Judas  would  remain  obdurate.^  Thus  the  Redeemer 
would  not  only  have  permitted  a  new  crime  in  one 
whom  He  knew  to  be  obdurate,  but  He  would  have 
positively  invited  him  to  sin :  He  even  would  have  made 
this  invitation  stronger  (drink  ye  all  of  this)  after  the 

1  One  ought  to  heed,  in  this  connection,  the  remarks  of 
Barradius:  If  Christ  gave  Holy  Communion  to  Judas,  the 
apostles  might  draw  the  conclusion  that  it  might  be  given 
to  an  unworthy  person  even  when  the  latter  could  easily 
be  removed.  And  he  adds:  Ordine  a  Joanne  proposito 
ostendit  a  Christo  eum  potuisse  facillime  removeri:  ergo 
censendum  esse  Christum  fecisse  quod  quivis  sacerdos  facere 
debeat,  si  peccatorem  sine  ulla  peecati  manifestatione  re- 
movere  possit   (ef.  Knabenbauer,  Comment,  in  Jo.  p.  417.) 


436  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

sinner  had  already  received  sacrilegiously  the  Body  of 
the  Lord.  Had  Judas  been  present,  Christ  would  have 
formulated  differently  the  words  of  invitation.  But 
this  He  did  not  do.  Therefore  Judas  left  the  hall  be- 
fore the  institution  of  the  Bl.  Sacrament. 

4.  (page  74.) 

It  is  on  untenable  grounds  that  many  moaem  scien- 
tists take  this  young  man  to  be  St.  Mark,  whilst  en- 
tire tradition  denies  that  he  was  personally  acquainted 
with  the  Lord.  On  account  of  the  scanty  attire  of 
the  young  man  it  is  not  probable  either  that  he  had  re- 
cently been  in  the  company  of  the  Lord  or  had  come 
with  Him  from  the  city.  "Naked,"  as  the  evangelist 
describes  the  fleeing  young  man,  does  not  necessarily 
mean  entirely  devoid  of  clothing.  Any  one  was  called 
naked  who  was  clad  only  in  an  undergarment  or  a 
loin-cloth.  The  Jews  held  complete  nudeness  in  great 
horror.     Compare  Sepp,  Leben  Jesu  VI.     330  a.  5. 

5.  (page  77.) 

Several  interpreters  (Salm.  Tolet.  Maid.  Com.  a 
Lap.,  etc.)  teach  that  the  preliminaiy  trial,  which  is 
here  described  as  taking  place  before  Annas,  was  held 
before  Caiphas.  However,  Father  Knabenbauer,  S.  J., 
in  his  Comment,  in  Joan.,  published  in  1898,  pp.  514  and 
515,  refutes  so  thoroughly  the  arguments  of  these  in- 
terpreters and  so  clearly  solves  the  difficulties  urged  by 
them  against  the  opposite  opinion  that  we  are  con- 
strained to  follow  his  teaching,  which,  besides,  has  al- 
ways had  many  adherents  (Chrys.,  Aug.,  Thomas  and 
others).  Father  Knabenbauer  shows  in  the  first  place 
from  many  texts  of  Holy  Writ  (St.  John,  xviii.,  3; 
xviii.,  35 ;  vii.,  45 ;  xi.,  47,  56 ;  xix.,  6,  xv.,  21 :  St.  Luke, 


NOTES  437 

iii.,  2),  that  the  high-priests  kept  their  titles  after  their 
terms   had    expired    and    that,    therefore,    Caiphas   the 
pontiff  in  office,  need  not  necessarily  be  understood  as 
being    the    one    who    conducted    the    prelimmary    trial. 
Moreover,   there   are   several   argiuuents   demonstrating 
that  the  preliminary  trial  was  held  before  Annas,  whilst 
only  the  trial  proper  was  held  before  Caiphas:  "Quae 
V.  19-23  narrantur,  plane  non  congruent  cum  eis  quae 
coram  Caipho  fiunt,  ibi  Jesus  privatim  interrogatur  de 
doctrina  et   discipulis;   hie  mstituitur   disquisitio   judi- 
cialis,    i.    e.,    re    adducta   testes    surgunt    et   testunonia 
dicunt;    ibi    Jesus    respondet,    hie   tacet    et    solum    ad- 
juratione  per  Deum  facta  edicit  quis  sit;  ibi  nulla  fertur 
sententia,   hie   reus   mortis   declaratur.     Unde,   si  numc 
V.  24.  legitur;  et  misit  eum  Annas  etc.,  ex  antecedenti- 
bus  omnino  suadetur,  hunc  versum  rite  poni  suo  loco 
et  ordme,   imo  ipso  suo  loco  rem  clare  definiri."     To 
consider  this  verse  as  a  subsequent  supplementary  ad- 
dition and  to  translate  it  thus:  "Annas  had  sent  him 
bound  to  Caiphas  the  high-priest "  is  also  improper  for 
the  reason  that,  ui  a  principal  sentence,  the  aorist  is 
never  to  be  taken  in  the  sense  of  the  pluperfect.     (See 
Kn.  loc.  cit.)     The  apparent  contradiction  between  the 
other  evangelists  who  speak  of  the  three  denials  of  Peter 
as  occurring  in  the  courtyard  of  the  palace  of  Caiphas, 
and  St.  John,  who  mentions  that  the  first  denial  hap- 
pened in  the  courtyard  of  the  house  of  Annas,  is  solved 
by  Father  Knabenbauer,  who  clearly  proves,  from  the 
narration  itself  of  St.  John,  that  Annas  and  Caiphas 
lived  in  the  same  house.     For,  while  Christ  was  before 
Caiphas  (v.  25),  Peter  stood  at  the  same  fire  and,  con- 
sequently,  in   the  same   courtyard  where   he  had  been 
when    Christ   was   before   Annas    (v.    18).     St.    John, 
therefore,    does   not   contradict   the    narratives    of    the 
other   evangelists,   which   state   that    the   three   denials 


438  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

took  place  in  the  courtyard  of  the  palace  of  Caipnas, 
but  he  rather  completes  them  by  showmg  that  the  fii-st 
denial  took  place  while  Christ  was  before  Annas  in  the 
house  of  C alphas.     (Kn.  p.  515  and  519.) 

6.  (page  90.) 

Regarding  the  histoiy  of  the  Sanhedrin  or  "  Great 
Council"  which  throws  such  a  peculiar  light  upon  the 
trial  of  Christ,  compare  D.  Bon.  v.  Haneberg's 
Geschichte  der  bibl.  Offenbarung  (4th  ed.  Ratisbon 
1876),  Part  VI,  ch.  2,  p.  435.  It  consisted  formerly 
of  the  chiefs  of  the  tribes,  of  the  priests  and  of  men 
of  all  tribes  who  were  versed  in  the  law.  It  had  con- 
tinued throughout  the  time  of  the  judges  and,  accord- 
ing to  legendary  data  of  the  Rabbis,  ever  during  the 
time  of  the  kings.  According  to  the  Rabbis  the  greater 
number  and  the  gTeatest  of  the  prophets,  such  as  Josue, 
Samuel,  Elias,  Eliseus,  Isaias  etc.  were  presidents  of  the 
Sanhedrin.  At  any  rate  the  Great  Comicil  was  re- 
organized after  the  return  of  many  priests  and  levites 
under  Esdras.  Esdras  himself  belonged  to  it  as  also 
did  Aggeus,  Zachary  and  Malachy. 

7.  (page  103.) 

Cornelius  a  Lapide  (St.  Matthew,  xxvi.,  58),  De  la 
Palma  (ch.  11),  and  Maszl  (Vol.  III.,  [St.  Mark,  xiv., 
66]  Vol  V.  [St.  John,  xviii.,  15-18])  do  not  believe  that 
the  disciple  who  entered  the  courtyard  of  the  high- 
priest  with  St.  Peter  was  St.  John,  but  they  think  that  it 
was  another,  albeit  a  secret  disciple  of  the  Saviour; 
that  he  was  perhaps  of  noble  lineage  and  acquainted 
with  Caiphas  on  account  of  his  elevated  position  in  life. 
Cornelius  a  Lapide  appeals  especially  to  the  Syrian 
translation,  "one  of  the  other  disciples."     Opposed  to 


NOTES  439 

this,  however,  are  the  Greek  editions  of  the  Bible  and 
all  the  other  translations,  so  that  the  text,  "  the  other 
disciple,"  stands  unshaken.  The  Syrian  translator 
probably  embodied  his  private  view  in  the  text.  Now, 
"  the  other  disciple "  is  none  other  than  St.  John.  He 
alwaj's  calls  himself  by  this  name.  Later  also,  St. 
John,  XX.,  2;  xxi.,  7,  20,  and  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles, 
John  and  Peter  are  continually  found  together.  Like 
Peter,  John  also  entered  the  court  of  Caiphas  without 
thinking  of  any  danger.  John  had  less  to  fear  for  him- 
self, as  it  seems  that  he  was  well  thought  of  in  the 
house  of  the  high-priest.  But  John  did  not  for  once 
imagine  that  the  entrance  into  that  house  would  prove 
ruinous  to  Peter  whose  attachment  to  the  Redeemer 
he  well  knew  and  who,  a  few  hours  before,  had  made 
so  many  courageous  protestations.  John,  however,  was 
more  careful  than  Peter.  He  did  not  mingle  among 
the  servants  and  converse  with  them;  but  he  went  into 
the  interior  of  the  palace  and  contemplated  his  Saviour. 
Furthei-more,  it  is  very  credible  that  he  soon  took  his 
departure  to  inform  the  Bl.  Virgin  of  the  beginning 
of  the  trial.  Cf.  Dr.  J.  B.  Holzammer,  Handbuch  zur 
bibl.  Gesehichte,  II.  (3d  ed.),  354,  note  1;  J.  B.  Loh- 
mann,  S.  J.,  Betrachtungen,  I.  (4th  ed.),  265. 

8.     (page  133.) 

Touching  and  beautiful  is  the  accomplishment  of  the 
ancient  prophecies  to  which  the  evangelist  refers  when 
mentioning  the  potter's  field  (St.  Matth.  xxvii.,  9).  The 
prophetic  words  quoted  by  him  are  taken  partly  from 
Zachary,  xi.,  12,  and  partly  from  Jeremias.  The 
evangelist,  however,  mentions  only  the  latter,  because 
he  furnishes  the  chief  contents  of  the  entire  prophecy 
quoted  as  one,  namely,  the  potter's  field  and  its  sig- 


440  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

nifieance.     The   whole    prophecy    embraces   three    chief 
points. 

1.  The  prophet  Zachary  represents  the  Lord  as  a 
good  Shepherd  expressing  His  indignation  at  the  in- 
gratitude of  His  flock  for  all  the  pastoral  care  lavished 
upon  it.  But  to  see  whether  the  sheep  desired  the 
Shepherd's  return  or  not  and  to  make  them  reflect 
upon  the  benefits  bestowed  by  Him  upon  them,  He 
asks  them  to  set  a  piice  on  His  labors  and  to  in- 
demnify Him,  if  it  appear  right  to  them;  otherwise 
not  to  mind  it.  They  thereupon  pay  Him,  as  a  fair 
price  for  years  of  love  and  care,  thirty  pieces  of 
silver,  the  price  of  a  slave.  For,  according  to  the 
law  (Exod.  xxi.,  32),  that  was  the  price  to  be  paid 
to  the  master  as  an  indemnity  for  a  bond-man  or  a 
bond-woman  killed  by  an  ox.  His  price  shows  con- 
tempt for  the  shepherd  and,  at  the  same  time,  his 
repudiation.  He  can  be  dispensed  with,  and  his  re- 
moval is  desired.  Then  God  says  to  the  shepherd, 
"Cast  it  to  the  statuary  (God,  the  Creator),  a  hand- 
some price,  that  I  was  priced  at  by  them.  And  the 
shepherd  took  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver  and  cast 
them  into  the  house  of  the  Lord  to  the  statuary." 
He  also  broke  his  second  pastoral  rod  as  he  had  broken 
the  first  —  he  ceased  to  be  their  shepherd.  The  good 
shepherd,  then,  who  saw  himself  thus  priced,  throws 
the  insignificant  sum  contemptuously  upon  the  ground 
before  God,  the  Lord  of  Israel,  the  Owner  of  the  flock. 
He  did  this  in  the  Temple,  for  there  the  Lord  dwells, 
and  he  thereby  appeals  to  the  judgment  of  God.  God 
hears  the  appeal  and  the  flock  shall  now  be  abandoned 
to  a  bad  shepherd.  All  this  the  evangelist  now  sees 
accomplished:  the  people  have  renounced  the  Mes- 
sias  by  appreciating  Him  at  thirty  pieces  of  silver, 
and  they  have  thus  passed  judgment  upon  themselves. 


NOTES  441 

The  evangelist  mentions  the  fulfillment  of  this  proph- 
ecy now,  when  he  is  about  to  narrate  how  the  Jews 
delivered  the  Redeemer  unto  Pilate,  the  heathen. 

2.  But  the  betrayal  of  Judas,  the  appreciation  of 
the  shepherd  by  the  flock  at  thirty  pieces  of  silver,  the 
moment,  therefore,  when  the  rejection  of  Israel  seems 
to  be  accomplished,  has  as  a  sequel  the  guaranty  that 
mercy  shall  not  always  keep  her  face  turned  away 
from  Israel.  And  this  guaranty  is  found  in  the 
"field  of  blood,"  in  the  potter's  field.  Whilst  the 
siege  of  the  Chaldeans  renders  Jerusalem  hopeless  and 
makes  the  people  stand  aghast  at  their  destruction; 
whilst  the  prophet  Jeremias,  himself  a  type  of  the 
suffering  Saviour  in  his  abandonment  and  nudity,  is 
serving  in  prison  for  his  prophecies;  the  word  of 
God  comes  to  him  to  buy,  in  Jehovah's  name,  a  field 
in  that  land  "whereof  they  say  that  it  is  desolate, 
because  there  remaineth  neither  man  nor  beast  and 
it  is  given  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy"  (Jerem.  xxxii., 
43).  The  prophet  obeys.  The  contract  is  closed  with 
proper  seals  and  deed,  and  the  price  of  the  field  is 
paid.  According  to  the  will  of  God  this  field  is  to 
be  a  pledge  that  the  nation  shall  be  re-established, 
that  it  shall  return  and  retake  possession  of  the  land. 
Wherefore  the  field  is  not  the  property  of  the  prophet, 
but  it  was  bought  in  the  name  and  as  the  property  of 
God. 

But  it  is  not  so  much  temporal  re-establishment,  nor 
recuperation  of  external  goods,  nor  political  resto- 
ration, which  are  promised  here.  The  purchase  of  the 
field  is  rather  the  pledge  of  a  higher,  spiritual  resto- 
ration, of  Messianic  Salvation,  of  a  new,  eternal  testa- 
ment, of  a  new  kingdom  of  God  upon  earth  to  be 
established  by  the  death  of  the  Redeemer.  Neither  ex- 
ternal power  nor  earthly  splendor  should  characterize 


442  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

this  restoration,  but  rather  sanctity,  concord  and 
love.  (See  Jerem.  ch.  xxxii.  and  xxxiii. ;  and  also  the 
beautiful  description  of  the  Messianic  kingdom  ac- 
cording to  the  sayings  of  the  prophets  in  J.  Kjiaben- 
bauer,  S.  J.,  [Comment,  in  Prophet.  Mm.  II.,  p.  160- 
168  anent  Sophonias,  III,  9-13].) 

The  fulfillment  of  this  prophecy  is  the  last  act  per- 
formed by  the  high-priests  of  Israel.  In  the  name 
of  the  temple,  that  is,  of  Jehovah's  dwellmg  therein, 
they  buy  the  potter's  field.  They  buy  it  with  the  money 
donated  to  the  temple,  with  the  price  earned  with  the 
life  and  blood  of  the  Messias,  the  good  Shepherd;  they 
buy  it  for  the  ridiculous  price  of  thirty  pieces  of 
silver,  by  means  of  which  He  has  appealed  to  the  God 
of  Israel  and  which,  in  the  temple.  He  has  laid  at 
the  feet  of  the  Lord,  the  "  statuaiy  "  of  Israel. 

3.  In  the  fact  that  it  was  the  field  of  a  potter  which 
was  bought  with  the  blood-money,  the  evangelist  sees 
no  fortuitous  event,  but  he  leholds  again  the  fulfill- 
ment of  a  glorious  prophecy.  For  according  to 
Zachary  the  good  shepherd  sigTiificantly  casts  the  thirty 
pieces  of  silver  before  the  "potter''  in  the  temple,  that 
is  to  say  before  the  Lord  who,  in  a  special  manner,  is 
the  "statuary"  of  Israel.  He  is  not  only  its  Creator 
as  He  is  the  Creator  of  all  nations,  but  in  an  incom- 
parably more  intimate  manner  by  especial  favor  and 
through  the  inventive  power  of  His  love.  He  is  its 
artistic,  modelling  Statuary,  its  Potter.  With  particu- 
lar development  of  details,  the  prophet  Jeremias  also 
(ch.  x\dii.,  and  xix.,)  represents  God  to  His  people  as  a 
Potter,  and  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  before  the  eyes  of 
the  representatives  of  the  people,  he  breaks  a  vessel  of 
clay  to  make  known  that  as  the  potter  breaks  his  vessel, 
so  God  will  destroy  the  people  and  the  city.  But  what 
the  prophet  already  here    (Jerem.   xviii.,  4)    indicates. 


NOTES  443 

that,  uamely,  from  the  broken  vessel  the  potter  will 
form  another  more  pleasing  to  his  eyes,  he  also  ex- 
pressly promises  (xxxiii.,  2)  when,  as  a  pledge  of  the 
fulfillment  of  his  promise,  he  offers  the  field  bought  by 
himsrslf  for  the  Lord,  the  Statuary  of  Israel.  By  the 
bringing;;'  in  oZ  the  name  of  "Potter,"  the  same  old 
promise-  cZ  t.  higher,  cpiritual  restoration  of  the  old 
testamen'^  fallen  in  ruins  is  repeated  under  another 
figure,  at  least  by  way  of  intimation.  The  purchase  of 
the  field  in  the  ncma  of  God  and  with  God's  money  (the 
blood-money  of  the  Messias)  is  the  guaranty  that  now 
the  time  lias  arrived  when  this  prophecy  is  to  be  fulfilled 
and  that  the  potter  i3  to  remodel  gloriously  the  broken 
vessel.  And  this  is  what  is  remarkable  in  the  fulfill- 
ment of  the  prophecy  and  what  the  evangelist  wishes  to 
bring  out  in  relief  —  the  field  bought  by  the  chief - 
priests  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  of  the  temple,  is  the 
"field  of  a  potter  J' 

Thus  the  evangelist  has  seen  three  prophecies  ac- 
complished simultaneously  in  the  purchase  of  the  pot- 
ter's field,  and  he  has  therefore  abridged  them  into 
one:  The  God  of  Israel  with  Whose  money,  earned  hy 
the  blood  of  the  Messias,  the  field  is  purchased,  thereby 
becomes  the  owner  of  the  potter's  field.  He  is  Him- 
self the  Potter  who  at  this  moment  rejects  His  people, 
as  His  people  has  just  now  rejected  its  Shepherd;  but 
Who,  exactly  through  the  purchase  of  this  field  de- 
clares that  He,  the  same  Potter,  will  remodel  the  clay 
in  His  hands  into  a  new,  successful  and  pleasing  form. 
Compare  Dr.  J.  Grimm,  Die  Einheit  der  vier  Evange- 
lien,  pp.  715-724,  and  J.  Knabenbauer,  S.  J.,  Com- 
mentarius  in  Prophet.  Min.  II,  351  sq. 


444  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

P.     (page  138  and  232.) 

As  it  appears  veiy  probable  from  the  work  Hist. 
Revelationis  Divinae  N.  T.  (p.  234  sqq.)  of  J.  Danko, 
who  cites  the  names  of  many  celebrated  authors  (p. 
241)  in  support  of  his  opinion,  the  Jews,  after  their 
return  from  the  Babylonian  captivity,  or  at  least  for 
a  long  time  before  the  death  of  Christ,  were  wont  to 
transfer  the  feast  of  the  Passover  to  the  Sabbath  when- 
ever it  fell  on  a  Friday.  This  was  done  in  order  that 
there  might  not  be  two  successive  days  on  which  servile 
labor  was  forbidden.  On  the  Sabbath  and  on  the  feast 
of  reconciliation  they  were  not  allowed  to  work,  not 
even  to  light  a  fire.  For,  considering  tho  strictness 
with  which  the  pharisees  observ^ed  their  feast-^.  and  Sab- 
baths, two  such  days  in  succession  would  have  caused 
much  annoyance;  wherefore,  on  this  point,  fiey  were 
more  excusable  than  many  Christians  of  our  day  who 
have  a  dread  for  ecclesiastical  feasts.  Such  a  case  oc- 
curred in  the  year  of  Christ's  death,  for  v/hich  reason 
the  Jews  ate  the  paschal  lamb  on  Friday  evering.  But 
the  Lord,  who  had  come  to  "  fulfill  the  law,"  held 
strictly  to  the  requirements  of  the  Mosaic  law  (Num- 
bers ix.,  12),  and  therefore  ate  the  paschal  lamb  on 
Thursday  evening  after  sundown,  at  the  time  when,  ac- 
cording to  the  intimation  of  the  evangelists  (St.  Luhc, 
xxii.,  7,  St.  Mark,  xiv.,  12),  it  should  be  slain,  and  when 
in  olden  times,  the  Jews  actually  did  slay  it.  Thus, 
the  indication  of  days  as  we  find  it  in  St.  John,  is 
easily  explained.  At  the  same  time,  by  means  of  this 
fact,  Divine  Providence  so  an-anged  it  that  Christ 
brought  about  the  realization  of  the  types  of  the  Bl. 
Sacrament  as  well  as  of  His  Sacrifice  on  the  Cross  on 
the  same  days  on  which  these  types  were  being  cele- 
brated m.  Jerusalem.     He  established  the  Bl.  Eucharist 


NOTES  445 

in  the  hour  in  which,  according  to  law,  the  paschal 
lamb  should  be  eaten.  (Thursday  evenmg.)  And  at 
the  hour  when  the  true  Lamb  of  God  was  taken  down 
dead  from  the  Cross  (Friday  evenuig),  the  Jews  were 
engaged  in  slaymg  their  paschal  lamb.  Their  work, 
of  course,  was  for  nothing  and  too  late,  as  Christ  by 
His  sacrificial  death  had  already  put  an  end  to  all  the 
sacrifices  of  the  law.  Cf.  Maldon.  in  Matth.  cap.  26, 
Dr.  J.  Grimm,  Die  Einheit  der  vier  Evangelien,  p.  756 
sqq. 

10.     (page  143.) 

If  one,  however,  lean  to  the  first  mentioned  albeit 
more  improbable  opmion,  that  Pilate,  to  rid  himself  of 
the  affair,  actually  allowed  the  chief-priests  to  execute 
the  death-warrant  without  his  previous  investigation, 
then  their  words  evidently  cannot  have  the  meaning 
that  it  was  beyond  their  competency.  For  Pilate  then 
would  have  given  them  permission.  Neither  would 
they  say.  "  We  may  not  do  it  to-day  on  account 
of  the  feast  of  the  Passover,"  because  the  feast  began 
only  on  that  evening.  Neither  could  the  sense  be :  "  We 
are  not  permitted  to  crucify  any  one.  You  can  stone 
him,  or  decapitate  him,  or  bum  him,  or  hang  him  to  a 
gallows." 

Some  interpreters  who  follow  this  explanation  are 
of  the  opinion  that  the  words  of  the  chief-priests  con- 
tam  a  refusal  to  make  use  of  the  granted  permission, 
as  though  the  Jews  said,  "  Either  give  us  back,  0  Pilate, 
all  our  rights  and  our  judiciaiy  powers  in  their  fullest 
extent,  or  you  may  keep  full  charge  of  this  particular 
case  also.  We  shall  not  touch  it.  Either  everything 
or  nothing."  But  they  spoke  thus  with  the  secret  pur- 
pose of  forcing  crucifixion  upon  Christ  through  Pilate. 
Other  interpreters,  however,  declare  the  sense  of  these 


446  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

words  to  be  as  follows;  "We  are  not  permitted  to  put 
Him  to  death^  that  is  to-day,  because  according  to  our 
law,  the  execution  must  always  be  relegated  to  the  day 
following  the  passing  of  the  judgment.  And  to  pre- 
vent Pilate  from  objectmg,  "What  need  is  there  of 
hurry?  TMiy  do  you  not  wait  with  the  execution  until 
after  the  Paschal  days?"  they  organized  the  monster 
massing  of  the  people  to  give  Pilate  to  understand  that 
here  was  a  case  which  brooked  no  delay,  a  death-sen- 
tence which  he  must  make  his  soldiers  execute  without 
any  further  postponement. 

In  our  explanation  we  have,  from  the  very  begin- 
ning (chap,  xi.,  page  153),  taken  the  standpoint  that  the 
Sanhedrin  had  power  only  to  impose  small  penalties. 
A  few  commentators,  however,  think  that,  mider  the 
governors  also,  the  Sanhediin  had  the  right  to  impose 
one  of  the  four  death-penalties  mentioned  above  with- 
out the  governor's  permission,  at  least  when  there  was 
question  of  crimes  committed  against  religion  and  the 
Mosaic  law.  In  this  ease,  the  last  two  explanations 
would  be  well  established.  The  sense  of  Pilate's  words 
then  would  be :  "  We  Romans  are  not  accustomed  to 
condemn  any  one  to  death  without  a  formal  trial  merely 
to  please  somebody.  Now,  if  you  have  investigated  the 
matter  and  found  Christ  guilty,  and  if  you  refuse  to 
even  lay  before  me  the  points  of  the  accusation,  why, 
then  go  and  do  what  the  law  allows  you.  For  my 
part,  I  will  not  meddle  with  it."  Then  the  chief -priests' 
answer  was  either:  We  will  not  (with  the  intention  of 
bringmg  Christ  to  the  death  of  the  Cross)  or;  we  may 
not  (meaning  to-day). 

^      11.     (page  183.) 

All  that  Flavius  Josephus  reports  of  Pilate  is  his  re- 
moval m   the  year  36,  on   account   of   a  slaughter  of 


NOTES  447 

Samaritans  on  Mount  Garizim  (Antiq.  18,  4,  2). 
Eusebius  (H.  e.  II,  7)  speaks  of  his  suicide  and  cites 
pagan  authors.  Some  apociyphal  writers  say  that  he 
died  converted,  while  others  claim  that  he  committed 
suicide  in  Rome.  Ado  of  Vienne  (f  875)  is  the  first 
to  narrate  that  Pilate  was  banished  for  life  to  Vienne 
and  that  the  anger  of  the  emperor  C.  Caligula  terror- 
ized him  to  such  an  extent  that  he  stabbed  himself  to 
death.  Cf.  Chronic.  4840  (Migne  P.  L.  CXXIII,  77). 
According  to  the  chronicle  of  Malala,  he  was  beheaded 
at  Rome  under  the  reign  of  Nero.  There  are  many 
other  tales  and  legends  anent  his  person  and  his  de- 
mise. 

The  gospel  does  not  mention  the  name  of  Pilate's 
wife,  but  in  tradition  (in  Evangelium  Nicodemi, 
Nicephorus  [H.  e.  I,  30]  and  by  Malala)  she  is  called 
Claudia  Procula.  According  to  the  legend,  she  was  a 
Jewish  proselyte,  as  was  often  the  case  with  Roman 
women.  She  is  said  to  have  been  a  secret  disciple  of 
Jesus.  It  is  also  mentioned  by  Origen  (in  Matth.),  by 
St.  Chrysostom  and  by  St.  Hilaiy  that  she  later  on  be- 
came a  Christian.  In  the  Greek  menology,  she  is  ven- 
erated as  a  saint  on  the  27th  day  of  October. 

12.     (page  225.) 

Not  a  few  interpreters  understand  the  words  of  Christ 
(St.  John,  xix.,  11):  "He  that  hath  delivered  me  to 
thee,  hath  the  greater  sin,"  to  mean  that  He  declared 
the  sin  of  Caiphas  (the  Great  Council)  to  be  greater 
than  that  of  Pilate.  "Because  thou,  as  judge,  hast  re- 
ceived from  God  especial  power,  thine  is  mdeed  a  great 
sin  if  thou  judgest  not  rightly.  But  to  Caiphas  no 
power  has  been  given  over  me.  He  has  unjustly  ar- 
rogated to  himself  power  over  me,  and  he  has  also  de- 


448  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

livered  me  to  thee  impelled,  as  he  was,  by  envy  and 
hatred.  Therefore  his  sin  is  greater  than  thine,  if, 
from  human  respect,  thou  abusest  thy  power  and  con- 
demnest  me  notwithstanding  my  innocence."  The  re- 
ligious authorities  among  the  Jews  who  maliciously  sur- 
rendered to  the  pagan  governor  Him  who  claimed  to 
be  the  Messias  and  by  intimidation  forced  the  gov- 
ernor to  abuse  his  authority,  were  evidently  guilty  of  a 
greater  crime  than  the  judge  of  weak  character,  who 
could  not  escape  the  functions  of  his  position. 

Father  Knabenbauer,  S.  J.,  in  his  Comm.  in  Joan, 
(p.  533)  prefers  the  foregoing  opinion  to  all  others, 
and  he  solves  well  the  difficulty  which  the  word 
"  propterea "  has  prepared  for  many  interpreters.  As 
in  other  matters,  we  should  also  in  this  gladly  have 
adopted  the  opinion  of  this  excellent  interpreter,  if 
there  were  not  one  difficulty  m  our  way.  For  it  ap- 
pears to  us  to  be  against  practical  prudence,  even 
against  common  sense,  to  insinuate,  by  way  of  con- 
solation as  it  were,  to  a  man  whom  one  wishes  to 
caution  against  crime,  that,  even  if  he  commit  the 
crime,  he  shall  not  be  worse,  but  rather  better  than  he 
who  misled  him.  "Would  that  be  really  a  warning 
against  crime?  Would  it  not  rather  be  an  encourage- 
ment to  it?  Now  Christ,  at  this  moment,  wished  noth- 
ing else  than  to  warn  Pilate,  earnestly  and  impressively, 
against  judicial  murder,  and,  for  the  time  being,  this 
warning  did  not  miss  its  effect. 

We  cannot  understand  what,  under  the  existing  cir- 
cumstances, could  have  induced  the  Saviour  to  speak 
to  Pilate  of  the  greater  sin  of  Caiphas.  Therefore,  for 
the  present,  we  stand  by  our  former  interpretation, 
which  we  have  taken  from  Toletus  (in  Joan.  19,  11), 
without,  however,  wishing  to  hinder  anyone  from  adopt- 
uig  the  opinion  of  Fr.  Knabenbauer. 


NOTES  449 

The  opinion  of  a  few  that  Christ  compared  the  sin 
of  Pilate  with  that  of  Judas,  does  not  need  a  refuta- 
tion. To  betray  and  to  deliver  are  two  different  acts. 
Judas  neither  executed  nor  intended  the  delivering  of 
the  Redeemer  unto  Pilate.  He  neither  foresaw  nor  did 
he  anticipate  it. 


13.     (page  248,) 

According  to  Genesis,  xxii.,  14,  the  mount  on  which 
Abraham  was  about  to  immolate  his  son,  was  Mount 
Moriah,  the  later  site  of  the  Jewish  temple.  On  this 
occasion  the  mount  was  first  hallowed,  as  well  through 
the  figure  of  the  intended  sacrifice,  as  by  the  fact  that 
to  the  heroic  devotion  of  faith  which  the  patriarch 
here  showed  there  were  attached  the  great  promises  for 
his  progeny.  (Haneberg,  Gesch.  der  bibl.  Offenb.  [4th 
ed.]  p.  52.)  NoAV  the  tribunal  of  Pilate  was  situated 
on  the  south  side  of  the  fortress  Antonia  which  occu- 
pied the  northwest  corner  of  the  temple  court.  The 
place  of  execution  was  just  above  the  court-yard  of 
the  temple  ( Schegg-Haneberg,  Evang.  nach  Johannes 
II,  441  sqq.).  According  to  Sepp  (Leben  Jesu,  VI, 
194)  Pilate  did  not  have  his  court-room  m  the  fortress 
Antonia,  on  Moriah,  but  in  the  royal  palace  of  the 
Herodians,  and  thus  Christ  would  have  been  sentenced 
on  Sion,  before  the  castle  of  David  to  which  the  palace 
of  the  Herodians  was  contiguous.  Sepp  and  Tobler, 
therefore,  locate  the  begmning  of  the  Way  of  the  Cross 
on  Sion.  But  this  opinion  seems  to  have  been  success- 
fully opposed  by  Sehegg,  Holzammer  and  others.  The 
opinion  of  Sehegg  is,  furthermore,  entirely  favored  by 
the  original  local  traditions  of  Palestine,  accordmg  to 
which  the  Way  of  the  Cross  began  on  Moriah,  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  temple  of  Solomon. 


450  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

14.     (page  250.) 

Our  description  differs  from  the  order  followed  in 
the  devotion  of  the  Way  of  Cross  only  in  so  far  as  the 
three  falls  of  the  Redeemer  are  coucemed.  It  seems  to  be 
beyond  a  doubt  that  Christ  had  fallen  the  third  time 
before  Simon  relieved  Him  of  the  Cross.  Perhaps  it 
was  to  avoid  monotony  that  in  the  devotion  of  the  Way 
of  the  Cross  the  meditations  on  the  triple  fall  were 
separated  by  the  introduction  of  other  mysteries.  The 
present  Way  of  the  Cross  in  Jerusalem,  that  is,  the 
direction  which  it  indicates,  is  undoubtedly  correct,  and 
the  five  of  the  fourteen  stations  which  commemorate 
events  not  expressly  mentioned  in  Holy  Writ,  are 
based  upon  ancient  and  venerable  traditions;  but,  for 
all  that,  no  one  is  bound  to  cling  to  the  manner  and 
order  of  representation  as  found  in  the  Way  of  the 
Cross;  to  all  of  which  Salmeron  has  already  called  at- 
tention. 

15.     (page  259) 

Without  in  any  way  prejudicing  the  matter  under 
consideration,  one  might  abstract  entirely  from  the 
place  where  Simon,  Veronica  and  the  weeping  women 
met  Christ.  It  is  the  almost  unanimous  opinion  of  in- 
terpreters that  Simon  met  the  Redeemer  outside  the 
city.  As  the  lamentation  of  the  pious  women  is  men- 
tioned by  St.  Luke  immediately  after  Simon's  meeting 
with  Christ,  the  women  probably  also  met  Him  beyond 
the  city.  According  to  our  presentation  of  matters, 
which  agrees  on  this  point  with  the  devotion  of  the 
Way  of  the  Cross,  the  same  may  be  said  of  Veronica, 
who  seemed  to  have  been  among  the  lamenting  women. 
According  to  others,  she  handed  the  kerchief  to  Christ 
while  He  was  still  inside  the  walls  of  the  city.  On  this 
point  certainty  can  no  more  be  obtained. 


NOTES  451 

16,  (page  269.) 

The  ancient  Greek  interpreters  of  the  Scriptures  are 
wont  to  distinguish  between  the  "myrrh-wine"  which, 
according  to  St.  Mark,  Christ  did  not  drink,  and  the 
"gall-potion,"  which,  as  St.  Matthew  says,  Christ  tasted. 
According  to  them,  therefore,  two  different  cups  were 
offered  to  Christ.  This  interpretation,  improbable  in 
itself,  arose  mainly  from  an  error  in  regard  to  the 
scriptural  text.  The  old  Greek  editions  had  instead 
of  the  words,  "  wine  with  gall,"  the  words  very  similar 
in  the  Greek  language,  "vinegar  with  gall."  It  was 
the  object  of  St.  Matthew  to  here  put  in  relief  the  hu- 
miliating treatment  of  Jesus  as  a  criminal  and,  at  the 
same  time,  the  fulfillment  of  the  prophecy,  "  And  they 
gave  me  gall  for  my  food,  and  in  my  thirst  they  gave 
me  vinegar  to  drink."  The  second  part  of  this  text  of 
the  psalm  was  fulfilled  when,  after  the  fifth  word  of 
Christ  on  the  Cross,  vmegar  was  offered  Him,  but  the 
first  part  was  fulfilled  now.  Thick  liquids,  such  as 
milk  and  the  like,  as  also  wine  strongly  mixed  with 
bitter  herbs,  can  according  to  usage  be  called  "  food  " 
as  well  as  "drink." 

17,  (page  270.) 

It  appears  to  be  a  thoroughly  established  fact  that 
when  Christ  was  disrobed  the  loin-cloth  was  left  Him. 
Not  only  is  the  statement  that  the  Romans  attached 
the  condemned  to  the  cross  in  a  condition  of  entire 
nudity  ditficult  to  prove  on  account  of  the  wide  and 
vaiying  signification  of  the  word  "nudus,"  but,  as 
Sehegg  correctly  remarks,  we  are  "  justified  in  makmg 
a  difference  between  the  cmcifixiou  of  a  criminal,  or  a 
common  slave,  and  the  cnicifixion  of  Jesus  Christ." 
Surely  the  pronounced  dread  of  the  Jews  for  complete 


452  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

nudity  and  the  presence  of  the  women  at  the  cruci- 
fixion are  a  guaranty  that  there  remained  to  the  Lord 
in  his  denudation  a  covering  for  the  loins.  This  is 
also  the  teaching  of  the  "  Evangelium  Nicodemi,"  which, 
although  apocryphal  and  of  rather  late  origin,  seems 
to  be  supported  in  many  of  its  paiis  by  ancient  tra- 
ditions. If  some  of  the  Holy  Fathei's,  thmking  of  sin- 
ful Adam,  let  the  second  Adam  die  in  complete  naked- 
ness, this  mystical  view  of  the  matter  has  been  op- 
posed by  another,  just  as  full  of  meaning.  In  Exodus, 
xxviii.,  43,  it  is  laid  down  as  a  "  law  forever "  to  the 
priests  to  wear  the  linen  hip  gaiTaent  at  divine  service. 
And  Christ,  the  Priest,  was  about  to  offer  His  sacrifice. 
The  loin-cloth  of  Christ  is  among  the  sacred  objects 
venerated  at  Aix-la-Chapelle.  It  is  said  that  Charle- 
magne brought  it  there. 

18.     (page  335.) 

A  few  interpreters  apply  St.  Luke,  xxiii,,  36,  to  a 
special  occurrence  which  must  have  taken  place  not 
after  the  fifth  word,  but  before.  In  order  to  ridicule 
Christ  in  His  thirst,  the  soldiers,  they  say,  offered  Him 
vinegar,  without  however  letting  Him  have  it,  demand- 
ing meanwhile  that  He  help  Himself.  But  most  in- 
terpreters apply  St.  Luke,  xxiii.,  36,  to  the  scene  of 
humiliation  described  by  St.  Matthew  and  by  St.  Mark 
after  the  fifth  word.  The  description  given  of  the 
mockery  of  Christ  on  the  part  of  the  soldiere,  seems 
to  be  the  most  simple  and  natural  adjustment  of  the 
narratives  of  St.  Matthew,  xxvii.,  49,  St.  Mark,  xv.,  36, 
and  of  St.  Luke,  xxiii.,  36.  For  it  will  not  do  to  de- 
clare the  words  of  St.  Matthew  and  of  St.  Mark  to  be 
wholly  identical.  Nor  is  there  anything  which  justi- 
fies the  assumption  that  the  soldier  offering  the  vine- 


NOTES  453 

gar  was  better  disposed  than  the  others  and  that  he 
deprecated  their  derisive  language.  St.  Mark  describes 
him  too  plainly  as  a  participant  in  the  scene  of  hu- 
miliation. Besides  the  sense  already .  given,  the  words 
of  the  soldiers  might  have  one  of  the  following  mean- 
ings: a)  cease  your  shouting  lest  Elias  be  deterred  from 
coming,  b)  Cease  your  cries  and  your  mockery,  other-  . 
wise  your  tormenting  will  hasten  His  death  before  the 
aiTival  of  Elias,  and  He  is  already  very  weak  as  I  can 
see  from  close  observation,  c)  Cease  shouting  and  keep 
quiet  so  that  we  may  observe  with  undivided  attention 
how  Elias  will  come  to  liberate  Him. 

Those  who  erroneously  assume  that  the  vinegar  was 
handed  to  the  crucified  to  hasten  their  death  add  an- 
other meaning:  d)  Let  me  hand  Him  the  vinegar. 
The  greater  the  danger  of  death  is,  the  sooner  will 
Elias  come.  This  meaning  is  made  more  untenable  by 
the  fact  that  "  vinegar  "  is  here  "probably  to  be  under- 
stood as  meaning  a  sour  wine,  prepared  from  the  skins 
of  pressed  grapes,  which  laborers  were  wont  to  drink, 
or  the  so-called  "  posea,"  the  drink  of  the  soldiers, 
which  was  composed  of  vuiegar,  water  and  eggs. 

19,     (page  337.) 

Isaias,  lii.,  15,  describes  the  Messias  as  the  Chief  Priest 
Who,  after  the  consummation  of  the  sacrifice,  recon- 
ciles all  people  by  means  of  the  sacrificial  blood.  He 
also  describes  Him  as  a  second  Moses  on  the  point  of 
establishing  a  new  testament  between  God  and  man. 
The  prophet  then,  liii.,  10,  says  in  clear  terms  that  this 
Messias  shall  offer  His  own  life  as  a  propitiatoiy  sacri- 
fice. The  force  of  these  passages  is  beautifully  shown 
by  J.  Knabenbauer,  S.  J.,  Commentarius  in  Isaiam  II, 
319  sq.:  cf.  p.  308.  Regarding  Is.,  liii.,  7,  see  ibid.  p. 
306,  307. 


454  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 


20.     (page  380,) 

Three  of  the  evangelists  report  the  wonderful  dark- 
ness at  the  death  of  Christ,  aiid  they  add  that  it  ex- 
isted "  over  the  whole  earth."  Now  it  is  not  to  be  for- 
gotten that  the  evangelists  speak  of  the  things  which 
occuiTed  in  Judea  where  they  then  were,  according  to 
the  direct  knowledge  of  these  thmgs  and  to  the  extent 
of  their  knowledge  of  them.  Therefore  Origen,  in 
his  commentary  on  St.  Matthew,  remarks  that  there  is 
nothing  to  hmder  the  opinion  that  the  darkness  extended 
only  over  Jerusalem  and  its  vicinity,  or,  at  most,  over 
the  whole  of  Judea,  just  as  the  tearing  of  the  veil  in 
the  temple,  the  quaking  of  the  earth,  the  bursting  of  the 
rocks  and  the  opening  of  the  graves  are  reported  as 
taking  place  in  Jerusalem.  The  expression  used  by  the 
evangelists  could  then  be  translated,  "  over  the  whole 
land,"  "  over  the  whole  region,"  just  as  is  understood  in 
St.  Luke,  iv.,  25,  of  the  famine  at  the  time  of  Elias 
and  in  many  other  passages  of  Holy  Writ.  Origen 
rightly  remarks  that,  if  this  extraordinary  event  had 
taken  place  over  the  entire  earth,  we  ought  to  have  in- 
formation of  it  from  other  sources  also.  This  ec- 
clesiastical writer  was  aware,  indeed,  of  the  statement 
of  Phlegon  of  Tralles,  a  chronicler  of  the  second 
centuiy,  who  reports  a  solar  eclipse  in  Bithynia  and  an 
earthquake  at  Nicea,  both  occurring  about  the  year  29 
of  our  calendar.  This  testimony  is  produced  by 
Eusebius  in  his  Chronicles,  by  St.  Jerome  in  his  trans- 
lation of  the  last  named  work,  and  later  on  by  a  few 
Greek  chroniclers.  However,  Origen  points  out  that 
it  is  very  uncertain  whether  or  not  Phlegon  speaks  of 
the  same  eclipse  as  the  evangelists,  because  he  fails  to 
mention  what  was  the  most  remarkable  feature  of  it, 
namely,  that  it  occurred,  against  the  laws  of  nature,  at 


NOTES  455 

the  time  of  the  full  moon  and  that  it  lasted  three  hours. 
He  therefore  warns  against  placing  too  much  re- 
liance upon  it.  And  indeed  Phlegon  seems  to  speak  of 
a  common,  astronomical  eclipse  of  the  sun,  and  out- 
side of  the  writers  mentioned,  hardly  any  Fathers  of 
the  Church,  apologists  or  Church  historians  appeal  to 
it.  The  statement  of  the  Syrian  Thallus  which  is  men- 
tioned, but  not  given  verbatim,  in  a  fragment  extant  of 
Julius  Africanus,  is  surrounded  with  so  much  obscurity 
that  one  can  conclude  nothing  from  it  \v^th  any  degree 
of  certainty.  Several  ancient  ecclesiastical  writers 
knew  Thallus  and  quoted  passages  from  him,  but 
the  very  passage  of  such  importance  to  them,  is  not 
mentioned  by  any  of  them.  They  also  leave  us  in  the 
dark  regarding  the  personality  of  this  writer  and  the 
time  when  he  lived.  To  judge  by  the  expression  used  in 
the  fragment  of  Africanus,  he  also  speaks  of  an  astro- 
nomical, solar  eclipse. 

It  is  however  correct  that  about  the  year  200,  in 
proof  of  these  miraculous  events,  TertuUian  appealed 
with  all  confidence  to  the  official  records  in  the 
Roman  archives.  He  undoubtedly  had  in  view  the  re- 
ports of  Pilate  concerning  the  execution  of  Christ  and 
the  events  in  Palestine.  With  the  knowledge  he  had 
of  the  Roman  archival  system,  he  could  rightly  presup- 
pose that  they  were  yet  extant,  and  probably  he  defi- 
nitely knew  of  their  existence.  Very  similar  to  the 
words  of  TertuUian  are  the  words  which  the  ecclesias- 
tical writer  Rufinus,  in  his  translation  of  the  Church 
History  of  Eusebius  (1,  IX,  c.  6),  makes  the  holy 
martyr  Lucian  say  about  such  records  in  the  "Annals." 
Unfortunately,  we  have  no  clue  to  the  source  from 
which,  almost  100  years  after  St.  Lucian's  death, 
Rufinus  drew  forth  this  address,  which  had  escaped 
Eusebius,   the  contemporary   of  Lucian.    All  passages 


456  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

referred  to  here,  as  well  as  those  which  refer  to  these 
wonderful  occurrences  in  the  works  known  under  the 
name  of  Dionysius  the  Areopagite,  are  grouped  to- 
gether in  C.  Baronius,  Annal.  Eccl.  a.  34,  n.  116.  et  117. 

St.  Chrysostom  and  also  Cornelius  a  Lapide  believe, 
however,  that  the  darkness  extended  over  the  entire 
hemisphere  reached  by  the  sun's  rays,  and  they  are  fol- 
lowed in  this  belief  by  many  prominent  Catholic  in- 
terpreters even  to  our  own  day.  Regarding  the  other 
occurrences  in  nature,  they  are  of  opinion  that  they 
occurred  over  the  whole  earth.  For  the  Lord  of  the 
whole  earth  was  concerned,  and,  in  His  behalf,  all  in- 
animate nature  arose  to  announce  His  death  as  the 
most  important  occurrence  for  the  whole  world. 

There  are  many  surmises  as  to  the  manner  in  which 
God's  Omnipotence  and  Wisdom  produced  these  phe- 
nomena.    But  they  are  naught  else  but  surmises. 

21.     (page  394.) 

St.  John  does  not  say  which  side  was  struck  by  the 
lance.  The  outflow  of  blood  and  water  would  of  itself 
indicate  the  left  side  where  the  heart  is.  The  same  con- 
clusion might  be  drawn  from  the  fact  that  the  soldier, 
standing  opposite  the  cross  with  the  spear  in  his  right 
hand,  would  most  naturally  strike  at  the  left  side. 
Nevertheless,  ancient  tradition,  frequent,  authoritative 
and  clearly  expressed,  especially  in  the  very  ancient 
Ethiopian  translation  of  the  Gospel,  declares  that  it 
was  the  right  side.  According  to  St.  Bonaventure,  the 
stigmata  of  St.  Francis  showed  the  wound  to  be  on  the 
right  side.  Moreover,  the  Church  looks  upon  the  tem- 
ple, from  the  right  side  of  which,  according  to  the 
vision  of  Ezechiel  (xlvii.,  1),  the  wonderful  water 
flowed,  as  a  type  of  the  body  of  the  Lord,  and  ap- 


NOTES  457 

plies  the  words  of  the  prophet  in  this  sense  during  the 
paschal  season.  Most  commentators  therefore  assume 
that  the  blow  was  aimed  at  the  right  side  whence  the 
point  of  the  lance  penetrated  through  the  cavity  of  the 
breast  to  the  left  side  into  the  heart. 

As  to  the  question  whether  the  outflow  of  blood  and 
water,  considered  in  itself,  indicates  anything  of  a 
miraculous  nature,  the  following  may  be  remarked: 

1.  Many  holy  Fathers  and  ancient  interpreters  con- 
sider the  flow  of  blood  to  be  a  miracle,  for  the  reason 
that  soon  after  death  the  blood  congeals  or,  to  speak 
more  correctly,  it  decomposes  into  a  liquid  similar  to 
water  and  more  solid  clots  of  blood.  Naturally  then, 
nothing  else  could  flow  out  but  the  first  mentioned 
aqueous  fluid  which,  although  eontainmg  minute  white 
corpuscles  of  blood,  invisible  to  the  naked  eye,  is  how- 
ever by  no  means  blood.  The  outflow  of  liquid  blood, 
properly  speaking,  would  therefore  have  been  a  miracle. 
Modem  medical  science,  however,  disputes  the  fact  of 
such  rapid  decomposition.  Jos.  Bautz  in  the  "  Katho- 
lik"  of  Mayence  (1886,  second  half,  p.  585  etc.)  quotes 
authorities  who  maintain  that  this  decomposition  only 
begins  four  hours  after  death.  Only  one  adds  the  re- 
striction that,  after  a  prolonged  agony,  the  blood  may 
perhaps  sometimes  begin  to  coagulate  at  the  moment  of 
death.  Many  physicians  here  whom  I  have  lately  con- 
sulted regarding  this  question,  have  assured  me  that  in 
the  human  body  the  blood  decomposes  only  in  from  12 
to  24  hours  after  death,  and  they  supported  their  state- 
ment with  the  authority  of  a  noted  physiologist  of  our 
country  (J.  C.  Dalton,  A  Treatise  on  Human  Physi- 
ology, sixth  edition,  Philadelphia,  1875,  p.  263).  Bautz 
himself  admits,  at  the  end  of  his  praiseworthy  article, 
that  decomposition  takes  place  a  considerable  time  after 
death.     Now,   if  this  be   so,   then   the   outpouiing   and 


458  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

even  llie  copious  outpouring  of  real,  liquid  blood  can  be 
explained  naturally,  especially  if  the  lance  was  with- 
drawn with  much  force  and  quickness.  Thus  say  the 
physicians. 

2.  That  real  water  flowed  out  of  the  side  of  Christ, 
is  beyond  a  doubt.  Thus  say  St.  Ambrose  (Exposit. 
Ev.  St.  Lucae  1,  10,  135),  St.  Cyril  of  Jerusalem 
(catech.  13,  21),  Origen  (c.  Cels.),  St.  Thomas  (in 
p.  3,  q.  60,  ai't.  4  ad  3  and  q.  74  art.  7  ad  3),  Salmeron 
(1,  10  tr  45),  Toletus  and  Cornelius  a  Lapide  (John 
19,  34),  De  la  Palma  (ch.  46)  and  others.  Pope  In- 
nocent III.  especially  expressed  himself  \ery  strongly 
against  the  opinion  that  from  the  side  of  Christ  there 
issued  not  real  water  but  "  phlegma  "  (a  thick  mucus), 
or  humor  aquatieus  (a  thin,  aqueous  fluid),  (lib.  3 
decret.  tit.  41  de  celebr.  Miss.  c.  8)  :  "  Non  aqaam,  sed 
humorem  aquaticum  mentiuntur  exiisse."  The  above 
cited  authorities  consider  the  outflow  of  real  water  to  be 
as  manifest  a  miracle  as  the  outflow  of  blood.  Pope 
Innocent  III.  had,  indeed,  not  given  a  decision  on  this 
question.  He  merely  insists  that  it  was  not  "  humor 
aquatieus "  but  "  vera  aqua "  which  issued  from  the 
wound.  But  can  the  term  "  vera  aqua,"  in  the  mean- 
ing of  the  pope,  be  applied  to  the  aqueous  fluid,  found 
one  hour  after  death  in  the  pericardium,  in  the  two 
pleurae,  etc.  (in  the  right  ventricle  of  the  heart  there 
is  then  none  as  yet)  ?  Or  is  this  fluid  not  what  he  calls 
"humor  aquatieus"  ?  In  English,  it  is  called  fluid  or 
liquid,  but  not  water.  Let  us  conclude.  If  there  was 
"  vera  aqua "  in  sufficient  quantity  in  the  pericardium 
and  in  the  pleurae,  which  were  pierced  by  the  lance,  a 
miraculous  act  of  God  was  required  at  most  to  effect 
an  abundant  outflowing  of  the  water.  If  real  water 
was  not  contained  in  those  parts,  then  Pope  Innocent 
permits  us  to  accept,  with  the  above  mentioned  authori- 


.    NOTES  459 

ties,  a  miraculous  secretion  of  real  water  from  the 
sacred  body  (the  human  body  consists  of  70%  of  real 
water  in  divers  forms  and  composites)  —  and  even  a 
new  creation,  if  needs  be. 

3.  According  to  the  opinion  of  physicians  whom  I 
have  consulted,  the  fact  that  St.  John  could  distinguish 
the  blood  from  the  water  in  a  simultaneous  outflow, 
was  a  manifest  miracle.  Their  opinion  was  that  the 
outflow  should  have  appeared  as  one  substance  of  the 
same  color.  Father  Suarez  (p.  3  q.  51,  disp.  41,  sec. 
1)  is  of  the  same  mind,  and  just  for  this  as  well  as  for 
other  reasons,  he  asserts  that  at  first  blood  and  then 
water  flowed  out  of  the  wound,  which,  perhaps,  can  be 
explained  on  natural  grounds  without  the  need  of  ad- 
mitting a  new  miracle.  Compare  the  article  of  Bautz, 
quoted  elsewhere,  p.  592. 

The  opinion  of  the  English  physician,  William  Stroud, 
(A  Treatise  on  the  Physical  Cause  of  Death  of  Christ, 
London  1847),  that  Christ  died  of  a  broken  heart,  which 
opinion  was  adopted  to  some  extent  by  physicians  as 
well  as  theologians  in  Germany,  must  be  rejected  on 
theological  grounds.  For  m  this  hypothesis,  Christ 
would  not  have  been  put  to  death  by  the  Jews  and  His 
death  would  degenerate  from  a  freely  willed  sacrifice 
to  a  mere  natural  process.  It  is  only  when  organic 
heart  troubles  pre-exist  that  heart  rupture  is  occasioned 
by  violent  emotions.  But  there  can  be  no  thought  of 
organic  heart  disease  in  Christ  nor  of  any  other  bodily 
ailment.     Comp.  article  of  Bautz,  p.  588. 

22.     (page  410.) 

Commonly  the  words  of  Isaias  (xi.,  10),  "and  his 
sepulchre  shall  be  glorious,"  are  considered  as  a  proph- 
ecy regarding  the  burial   of  the   Redeemer,   especially 


460  HISTORY  OF  THE  PASSION 

as  it  is  beyond  a  doubt  that  iii  this  passage  there  is 
question  of  the  Messias.  This,  however,  is  the  idea 
only  of  St.  Jerome,  who  embodied  it  in  his  Latin 
translation  of  the  Bible.  The  Hebrew  text  has  it,  "  the 
people  shall  search  for  him  (the  glorified  Messias)  and 
his  repose  shall  be  in  glory."  From  this  text  one  can 
indeed  conclude  that  also  the  place  of  His  repose,  the 
place  of  His  dwelling,  as  for  instance,  the  temple  of 
the  Old  Law  or  the  Christian  Church,  shall  be  par- 
ticularly glorious,  not  to  forget  the  sepulchre  which, 
under  such  extraordinaiy  circumstances,  He  selected  as 
His  especial  dwellmg.  All  this  can  be  deduced  from 
the  words  of  the  prophet  but  it  is  not  directly  expressed 
by  them.  More  beautiful  and  clear  is  the  prediction 
concerning  the  Saviour's  sepulture  by  the  same  prophet 
(Is.,  liii.,  9).  It  is  well  dilated  upon  in  the  excellent 
Commentarius  in  Isaiam  Prophetam  auctore  J.  Kna- 
benbauer,  S.  J.,  Paris  1887,  t.  I,  p.  1  sqq:  t.  II,  p.  315 
sq. 

23.     (page  417.) 

Whilst  Christ  speaks  in  many  passages  of  His  resur- 
rection on  the  third  day  (St.  Matthew,  xvi.,  21;  xvii., 
22,  XX.,  19.  St.  Luke,  ix.,  22;  xviii.,  33.  St.  Mark, 
x.,  34),  He  only  once  uses  the  expression  that  He  will 
arise  after  three  days  (St.  Mark,  viii.,  31)  because  in 
this  one  passage  He  compares  Himself  to  Jonas.  Sim- 
ilarly He  says  (St.  Matth.  xii.,  40),  again  on  accomit 
of  the  comparison,  that  the  Son  of  Man  will  be  in  the 
heart  of  earth  three  days  and  three  nights.  Here,  as 
well  as  in  other  passages  of  Holy  Writ,  we  must  have 
regard  for  the  manner  in  which  the  Jews  expressed 
themselves.  In  determining  a  time,  they  were  wont  to 
count  entire  days,  months  and  years,  if  even  only  a 
small  part  of  them,  either  the  beginning  or  the  end,  was 


NOTES  461 

covered  by  the  events  spoken  of.  As  Christ  had  so 
often  very  definitely  determined  the  time  of  His  resur- 
rection, there  could  be  no  doubt  as  to  how  this  one  pas- 
sage ought  to  be  understood.  The  words  of  this  pas- 
sage were  incorrectly  given  by  the  false  witnesses.  In 
a  similar  way,  the  latter  quoted  wrongly  the  words  of 
Christ  declaring  (St.  John,  ii.,  19)  that,  after  His 
enemies  had  destroyed  the  temple  of  His  body  He  would 
raise  it  up  again  in  three  days,  i.  e.,  within  the  period 
of  three  days  or  before  the  expiration  of  three  days 
(see  St.  Matth.  xxvi.,  61). 


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